To Spain and Back: Changing Roles and Identities of Ecuadorian Female Migrants

Abstract

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ecuadorian migration to Spain expanded due to economic and political push and pull factors between the two countries. Through the feminization of migration, women came to represent approximately half of all Ecuadorian migrants in Spain. During the migration process, women who lived in Spain experienced reconfigured identities with respect to their roles as migrants, employees, wives, and mothers. Beginning in 2008, the economic crisis and rampant unemployment in Spain forced many Ecuadorian migrants to return to their native country. As women came home to Ecuador, they reconciled the migration experience with their transition back to Ecuador. This paper focuses on the migration and return processes for Ecuadorian women and examines the challenges and opportunities that females confront with respect to identity reconfiguration when they are abroad and when they come home to Ecuador. Additionally, this paper highlights to what extent public and private organizations in Ecuador provide opportunities for support for Ecuadorian women when they return from Spain. Analysis is based on qualitative research stemming from 24 interviews: eight conducted via internet with Ecuadorian migrant women living in Spain, ten with Ecuadorian migrant women returned from Spain and living in Quito, and six with representatives from Ecuadorian government offices and NGOs offering programs for returned migrants. This research emphasizes the need for readjustment support for returned migrant women to facilitate sustained empowerment throughout their return to Ecuador.