Since 2019, the Mixed Migration Centre (MMC) has spoken to 28,242 women on the move as part of our flagship 4Mi survey. For this International Women’s Day, March 8th 2025, we share their stories of horror and hope through selected data and quotes, highlighting how gender-based violence is both a driver of migration and an extreme risk for those on the move. Many women migrate to escape violence, yet even more face violence on the journey. Migration policies must account for these risks to create safer pathways for women on the move.
Gendered drivers of migration
For many women, migration is a means of escape — an act of courage in the face of gender-based violence and discrimination. Among all women surveyed by MMC, 18% cited sexual and gender-based violence, domestic abuse, or discrimination as reasons for leaving their homes. This often includes forced marriage, as in the case of a Senegalese woman interviewed in Spain, forced to marry her rapist in Senegal.
Stories shared by women on the move reveal the horrors they endure and the resilience that drives them forward:
“I ran away because they were going to sell me into prostitution […] my family had already made a deal with a man working for a prostitution ring that takes young women for sexual exploitation, and I didn’t want that for my life. From a young age I dreamed of becoming a successful woman. I wanted to be a doctor but my family wouldn’t let me study. […]”– Ecuadorian woman in Costa Rica
One Nigerian woman interviewed by MMC in Libya described being sold into a “baby factory,” where she was held captive with 46 other girls, sexually assaulted, and forced to bear children:
“I gave birth to four babies but the woman sold all my babies to different people. Some of the girls in the room died, I and the other girls finally escaped.”
Gendered Experiences of Migration
Globally, at least 11.5% of women interviewed by MMC reported experiencing sexual violence during their journey; the real figure is likely much higher. Those fleeing SGBV are not exempt from experiencing it en route. In particularly dangerous transit points, such as the Darién Gap and Libya, the risks are even higher.
Having successfully escaped Ecuador dressed as a man, and after four months in hiding in Colombia, the woman quoted above was raped while crossing the Darien, attempting to reach the United States. Sexual violence in the Darien gap is indeed systematic, experienced by 46% of women surveyed in 2024.
“I came out of that jungle raped by four filthy damned men who took away my will to live. I feel demeaned, dirty, I feel like trash, at times I wish I could die. It was something so ugly that I don’t wish it on any woman.” – Cuban woman in Costa Rica
Among women who transited Libya (n=1985), 38% experienced sexual violence at some point during their journey – not necessarily in Libya, but likely.
“I was forced to do prostitution over here. I regret coming to Libya because this was not what I was told, I was told I was going to France to work as a stylist but now I ended up here in Libya been forced to do something against my wish.” – Nigerian woman in Libya
Traveling with Children
Among women surveyed by MMC, 43% of women (11,890 out of 27,789) were traveling with children—more than twice the proportion of men (18%). The presence of children significantly shapes migration decisions. Our research in Niger, Tunisia, and Italy found that the presence of children impacts migration decision-making. While safety remains a priority, the increasing cost of travel sometimes compels families to forsake safer, costlier routes in favour of more affordable, perilous journeys.
Women’s Agency and Resilience
Despite the horrors experienced by many women on the move before or during their journey, their stories reveal immense bravery, with many sharing heroic tales of escape:
“I defended myself as best I could against those men, I broke a piece of wood on the head of one of them, and the truth is I don’t know if I killed him, because he was left lying on the ground, and that’s how I was able to escape” – Venezuelan woman in Costa Rica
“I was kidnapped and enslaved by a family in Libya who detained me for almost two weeks. I managed to escape after two attempts, and I was rescued by another migrant who helped me hide and disguise myself so they wouldn’t recognise me.– Burkinabe woman in Tunisia
“They chained us by the feet, sometimes they came and raped us […]. I was there for 3 months and I managed to escape. I still have the mark of the chain on my foot, because I started to hit the chain and one morning I managed to loosen it […] I didn’t know where I was, I just know that I ran a lot in the hills […] – Venezuelan woman in Colombia
Among women who experienced sexual violence during migration (n=3,255), 40% stated that they would still have embarked on their journey, even knowing the dangers they would face. This underscores the difficult choices many women may be forced to make. For many, migration is a calculated decision to escape situations of abuse, oppression, or extreme hardship. Even when the risks are immense, the alternative—staying in environments of ongoing violence or deprivation—may seem even more perilous.
“It is difficult to express the hell I went through. […] But God is great, I’m trying to move on and find a better future.” – Venezuelan woman in Costa Rica
“I have been a victim of many things here […] but we are still here, fighting and with faith that everything will get better.” – Venezuelan woman in Colombia
Women also take active measures to protect themselves. Two-thirds of all women surveyed gathered information about routes, destinations, costs, and risks before their journey – although 38% felt they were lacking useful information about safety and security along the journey. Many sought safety strategies, with 49% choosing to travel in groups.
The stories and data presented here highlight not only the dangers women face but also their strength and determination to build better futures. The fact that so many would still embark on their journey, even knowing the dangers ahead, speaks to the strength of their aspirations and the power of hope.
“It was a bad experience for me. But I believe that I have a future ahead, and I won’t let this stop me.” – Nigerian woman in Libya