The Hypersexualization of Colombian Women Immigrants in Mexico as an Obstacle for Their Social Integration

Abstract

This article analyzes how the media and cultural hypersexualization of Colombian women in Mexico acts as an exercise of domination that hurts their social integration and the exercise of their basic human rights. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the article combines a literature review, a critical analysis of media discourse on the femicide of Colombian women, and a questionnaire administered to 17 Colombian women who are members of the Caminantas Red para Mujeres Migrantes A. C. network. The findings show that stereotypes linking Colombian women to “sexual availability,” drug trafficking, and stereotypical physicality legitimize discriminatory practices, harassment, and exclusion, even in the workplace and in access to services. Thus, dismantling these discriminatory imaginaries requires comprehensive interventions that include public policies, media literacy, and the promotion of narratives that recognize the diversity and agency of female Colombian immigrants in Mexico.