Introduction: At the Crossroads of Europe and the Mediterranean

This chapter introduces the volume, focusing on the experiences of migrant women in southern Europe, based on fieldwork conducted between 2009 and 2018. Approximately one hundred migrant women from north and sub-Saharan Africa provided oral testimonies, offering insight into their agency and varied experiences as they navigated borders and perilous journeys. The study emphasises the contrast between the tragic fates of two literary figures, Shauba and Khady, and the survival of the women discussed in the volume, despite their journeys being marked by violence, fear, and vulnerability. The research explores questions surrounding life on the border, survival at the border, and lived experiences within it. It places the migrant women within the historical context of African migration to southern Europe and acknowledges the postcolonial dimension. The abstract also highlights the increasing presence of women in contemporary European migration, both at departure and arrival, despite the challenges of studying a survivor population. The transformation of the Mediterranean from a “space-movement” to a “borderland” is discussed, along with the significant shift in European Union (EU) migration policies towards repression and security in the 2000s. This policy change has profoundly impacted the experiences of individuals on the move, including women.