Gender stereotypes in Brazilian media representations of Venezuelan and Ukrainian refugees and migrants

Abstract

This article analyzes media representations of refugee and migrant women, focusing on the gender stereotypes applied to Venezuelan and Ukrainian women in Brazil. Based on content published in the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo, it examines press strategies in covering topics involving refugee women. Drawing on gender, migration, and communication studies, this research identifies narrative patterns that reinforce traditional female roles. Venezuelan women are frequently associated with disorder, prostitution, and exploitation, while Ukrainian women are framed through notions of fragility and protective motherhood, reinforcing Eurocentric discourses. The analysis highlights how factors such as geopolitics can influence public perceptions of refugee women. Moreover, it emphasizes the media’s role in creating imaginaries that shape social and political discourse. The study points to the need for more plural representations that acknowledge the diversity of refugee women's experiences in Brazil.