Gender, migration and political participation. The case of migrant women in Italy

With reference to the immigrant population, gender-differentiated incorporation models have been observed. Furthermore, the role of gender in shaping the political incorporation of migrants varies by country of origin, host countries and ethnic-racial groups of belonging. The few studies that have dealt with the simultaneous effects of the intersection of gender and ethnicity on political participation refer to the US. Less attention has been given to the effects of gender and ethnicity intersections on political participation in Europe. In Italy, despite the importance of the gender dimension of immigration, the political participation of migrant women has rarely been the focus of Italian scholarship. In the light of these considerations, we wondered what happens in terms of political participation at the intersection of gender and migration, particularly for women and non-citizen residing in Italy. We ask whether there are gender differences in the degree of political engagement among migrants residing in Italy (RQ1). What are the factors that facilitate or inhibit the political engagement of migrant women in Italy and whether they are the same as men (RQ2). Furthermore, how the intersectional positions of migrant women determine their different political participation (RQ3). To answer our research questions, we used a quantitative empirical strategy -logistic regression models and interactions- based on the data from the ‘Social Condition and Integration of Foreign Citizens’ (SCIF) survey, carried out by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) in 2011–2012 (released in 2016). Based on the variables available in the survey, we decided to use the broader concept of political engagement, distinguishing political attitudes (including interest in Italian politics) and behaviours (including participation in some extra-electoral political activities). Adopting an intersectional gender perspective, our analysis aims to shed light on the factors that stimulate or inhibit the political engagement of migrants in Italy at an individual level, with a specific focus on intersectional gender differences, both in terms of differences between men and women and between different groups of migrant women. Our results contribute to a more complete understanding of how gender shapes political engagement in Italy confirming the presence of a gender gap in political affairs also between immigrants as well as among the natives. Our findings also confirm that situational variables play a crucial role only for women in preventing their political engagement especially when they are workers, wives, and mothers of multiple children. When we analyze the differences between different groups of women, our results show that many of the traditional factors associated with high levels of political participation matter less to some groups of migrant women than others. All the models analyzed confirm the key role played by social capital in promoting the political participation of migrants (both for men and for women) at different levels. Finally, our findings demonstrate the importance of an intersectional approach to understanding political participation.