In the department, 52% of the migrant population are women. It is highlighted that the majority of this population group is located in Bucaramanga and urban areas, where they seek better job opportunities and access to homes with basic services.
In Santander a total of 116,630 Venezuelan migrants, according to Migración Colombia. Of this figure, 52% (59,570) are women, which shows the high female representation when it comes to joining this department, especially in urban areas in the search for better job opportunities and access to housing with basic services. Bucaramanga, as the capital, concentrates the largest number of these women: 27,070.
The majority of migrant women in Santander are in the age range of 18 to 39 years, which suggests that this population is in a productive and reproductive stage of life. In Bucaramanga, the age range of migrant women extends from 8 to 39 years, which indicates the presence of girls and adolescents accompanied by their families or “migrating alone.”
Regarding this, Alba Pereira, director of the Entre Dos Tierras Foundation, highlights that it is a reality and that although we cannot speak of “a migratory wave today”, we should not ignore that migration has changed and that many women Young people go out in search of better opportunities for themselves, their children and families.
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Participation in the labor market
The integration of these women into the labor sector is a positive indicator of their adaptation and contribution to the local economy.
Migrant women are mainly employed in the service and sales sector (39.7%), followed by the administrative sector (27.6%) and the scientific and intellectual professional sector (14.1%).
This shows diversification in areas of employment, although the greater concentration in services and sales could indicate a trend towards lower-skilled and lower-paid jobs. The presence in professional sectors also highlights the significant contribution of qualified and specialized talent of migrant women.
The majority of migrant women with employment and participation in entrepreneurial projects are between 25 and 29 years old. This trend highlights that young women are those who most integrate into the labor market and seek entrepreneurial opportunities.
Being in a crucial phase of professional development, they believe they have the potential to generate a considerable impact on the local economy and their personal development. “This also helps us stay united and network with other Venezuelan women,” says María Fernanda Hénandez, leader of the organization ‘Unidas Somos Más’ from the Granjas de Provenza neighborhood in Bucaramanga, and who is part of the venture that said network has called ‘Colvenin’, dedicated to the sale of printed elements.
Exposed to poverty
According to the National Planning Department (DNP), in Bucaramanga, the majority of migrant women live in houses, but face precarious living conditions: 45% live in critical overcrowding, which negatively affects their quality of life and health. .
Marginalization and lack of basic infrastructure in the areas where they live show that they do not have access to basic services: 26.5% do not have improved water sources and 16.8% do not have access to an adequate toilet; 33.5% live in houses that lack gas service and 26.18% in places that do not have aqueduct; 16.7% do not have sewage and 11% do not have garbage collection service.
The labor market for these women in poverty presents challenges for mothers or heads of households: the informality rate reaches 88%, and long-term unemployment affects 67.7%. Their children are also exposed: Bucaramanga’s migrant children and youth face serious problems in terms of their educational development and care, according to the DNP. 45.5% do not have access to early childhood care services and 31.9% suffer from educational backwardness. Besides,
Although many women are looking for work, most of those who work do so independently and few have formal jobs. This situation of precarious employment is aggravated by the lack of access to health services, since 43% do not have health coverage.
Alarming increase in gender-based violence
Reports from the Public Health Surveillance System (Sivigila) have revealed a worrying increase in cases of gender-based violence against migrant women in 2023. A total of 97 migrant women were victims of various forms of violence, evidencing the vulnerability of this population and the urgency of preventive and protective actions.
According to Sivigila data, of the 97 cases reported in 2023, 48 corresponded to physical violence, 40 to sexual violence, 6 were related to negligence and abandonment, and 3 to psychological violence. The majority of the victims were girls and adolescents between 12 and 17 years old (21%), followed by women between 29 and 59 years old (20.3%) and young people between 18 and 28 years old (17.9 %).
Since 2019, cases of violence against migrant girls, adolescents and women have shown an increasing trend. In 2020, during the pandemic, a peak of 58 cases was recorded, 40 more than in 2019. Although in 2021 cases increased to 82 and decreased slightly to 78 in 2022, the year 2023 marked a new increase with 97 reports. This sustained increase suggests that migrant women continue to face an unsafe and hostile environment, exacerbated by factors such as the pandemic and adverse socioeconomic conditions.
Local organizations, such as the Fundación Mujer y Futuro, have been on the front line of support, attending to 77 cases of migrant women victims of gender-based violence in 2023.
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