Gender and Borders in the South and Central American Context. A Scoping Review

This scoping review aims to identify the diversity of topics currently being researched in the border contexts of South and Central America, specifically those that delve into the situation and experiences of women. The literature search focused on empirical research that has allowed us to understand the multiple realities, problems, demands, and challenges women face in border contexts. Methodologically, we worked with the PRISMA Protocol for scoping reviews (2018). Thematic analysis allowed the studies to be classified into three interrelated dimensions: structural violence, forced displacement, and circular migration. These dimensions reveal how gender inequalities intersect with factors such as racialization, migratory status, and socioeconomic precariousness, shaping specific forms of vulnerability for women. However, the study also highlights the individual and collective agency strategies that emerge in response to these forms of violence, highlighting practices of resistance, community support networks, and forms of agency. The findings contribute to the field of border and gender studies by showing how these spaces operate not only as geopolitical borders, but also as territories where social control and gender-based exclusion are reproduced and contested.