A border in debt. The ongoing challenge of protecting migrant women
- Editorial
- Aug 7
- 3 min read
Along the busiest border in the world, the image of the migrant woman emerges as an invisible protagonist—resilient in spirit, yet systemically vulnerable. In 2025, both Mexico and the United States face a pressing ethical, political, and economic challenge: to build effective, binational public policies that genuinely protect and empower this historically neglected population.
Throughout 2024, both nations made specific advances. In Mexico, the National Migration Institute (INM), in collaboration with the Secretariat for Substantive Equality and organizations such as UN Women, launched pilot programs in Tijuana, Ciudad Juárez, and Tapachula. These initiatives focused on gender-based violence prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and legal counseling for women migrants in transit. According to INM data, over 78,000 migrant women received direct support—an increase of 35% compared to 2023. However, only 21% had access to gender-sensitive shelters with specialized care protocols.
In the United States, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) expanded “Welcome Centers” in Arizona, California, and Texas, offering language services, basic medical care, and safe spaces for women with children. Through the CBP One program, 42% of asylum applications processed in 2024 came from women—many fleeing domestic violence or human trafficking. Yet access to humanitarian visas remains highly discretionary and limited, with only 11% of female applicants receiving favorable responses before the end of 2024.
A joint report from the Migration Policy Institute and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte revealed that 58% of women who crossed the border irregularly in 2024 did so while fleeing gender-based or structural violence. Despite this, access to binational justice remains virtually nonexistent, and a lack of coordination between U.S. counties and Mexican municipalities hinders comprehensive and sustained care.
Economically, migrant women represent an increasingly essential labor force in sectors such as agriculture, caregiving, and cross-border manufacturing. In California and Texas, approximately 28% of migrant women working in these industries are undocumented, according to Pew Research Center data. This presents a critical opportunity for both nations to integrate this population into regulated labor mobility and development strategies.
Technology is also beginning to play a key role. In 2024, the binational startup BorderSafe launched a mobile app that allows users to report violence, locate safe shelters, and access binational helplines using geolocation. While the app’s pilot was limited to Baja California and Southern California, 2025 could be a breakthrough year for expansion—provided that strategic alliances and multilateral funding come through.
Nevertheless, the challenges ahead in 2025 are substantial. First, there is a pressing need to harmonize gender-sensitive care and protection protocols across both countries. Second, the creation of joint funding mechanisms between Mexican and U.S. agencies is essential to ensure permanent shelter operations. Third, protecting migrant women must be framed not merely as a migration issue but as a national human security priority. Finally, digital tools and tech-based solutions must be inclusive of women facing low connectivity and digital literacy barriers.
Protecting migrant women along the border is not just a matter of social justice—it is an opportunity to reshape binational cooperation through a lens of human rights, gender equity, and shared institutional responsibility. Mexico and the United States now stand at a critical crossroads, with the historic chance to turn a corridor of risk into a corridor of hope.
Written by: Editorial
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