Labour pathways, mobility and gender in crisis contexts: The case of latin american seasonal workers in France

This paper analyses the re-emigration of Latin American women living in Spain to work in the agricultural sector in Provence (France) after the economic crisis of 2008 and the Covid-19 pandemic. The labour and mobility paths of these workers are analysed from a feminist perspective, taking into account care work and paid work. This analysis allows us to approach both the subjectivities and strategies of the workers and the transformations taking place in this enclave of intensive agriculture as a result of the two crises. The results show that this mobility has had ambivalent effects for these women, as it has allowed them to improve their living conditions and access higher wages, but it has also relegated them to jobs characterised by great physical hardship and poor working conditions, with which they do not identify. We have also seen that, in addition to structural factors related to the socio-economic situation and labour markets, reproductive work, especially childcare, shapes the employment and mobility pathways of these workers. This paper is the result of qualitative research based on observations and in-depth interviews.