Faith on the Edge: Religion and Women in the Context of Migration

Abstract

Migration is a phenomenon that is as old as humankind. Today, however, it is undergoing changes that are not only radically re-defining human geography but are also offering insights for theological reflection into the contemporary human condition. The shift in gender composition or the emergence of the so-called ‘feminisation of international migration’ is one of these. This paper scrutinises, from a theological perspective, the religious ways in which migrant women deal with the difficult and oppressive conditions that are born out of migration. It draws heavily from the experience of Asian women migrants in general and Filipino women migrants in particular. It starts with a brief introduction that takes as its starting-point the case of Filipino women migrants to illustrate how faith is significantly woven in migrant women’s lives. Then it explores three concrete faith-based ways of surviving common to Asian migrant women namely courageous hope, creative resistance, and steadfast faith. The paper then ends with a brief conclusion.