Corpi femminili in movimento. Il caso delle IVG delle donne peruviane a Firenze e la sperimentazione del progetto Escapes"

My research relates to sexual and reproductive health of migrant women in the Tuscany Region, with a focus on Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy of Peruvian women living in Florence. In particular, I show the results of an innovative project of the Tuscany Region, "Escapes", which concerned the role of the Community Health Educator in the promotion of right to health and healthcare services among migrant communities. In the first chapter, I show the significance of the issue analyzing a number of empirical data (the increasing number of foreign residents in the Region of Tuscany; the ‘feminization’ of the migratory flux; the reasons why migrant women turn to health assistance; the gap between foreign and Italian women when accessing to health assistance) and taking into account a number of Regional documents (e.g. Regional Law on immigration, n. 29/2009; Regional Law on gender citizenship, n. 16/2009; Regional Plan on health and social assistance). I also analyze the main definitions of health, the concept of social determinants of health and the Italian Law on right to health and access to health assistance. In the second chapter, I consider different political philosophical approaches to the question of multiculturalism and gender identity. This part constitutes a theoretical instrument through which I look at the problems of migrant women when accessing to health assistance and its possible solutions. The main issues and concepts taken into account are: sex and body; intersectionality; culture; autonomy; non Western feminisms; vulnerability. The last part of the work deals with the case study and shows the path and the results of the "Escapes" project. I show the methodology used in the research - with a reference to feminist methodology and positioning too - and the results of the interviews and focus groups conducted both with Peruvian women and with midwives, doctors and Regional Institutional actors. The main issues here tackled concerns the social and working conditions of Peruvian women and the gender roles and stereotypes in family and partner relations. In conclusion, I show the link between the area of health and the social and citizenship status of the women and I consider the figure of the Community Health Educator and its possible application in the regional policies.