Migration, Gender, and the Politics of Integration in Germany

The paper builds on earlier work on intersectionality and the substantive representation of migrant women in Germany.  Research has found that the double advantage of gender and migrant status led female Migration, Gender, and the Politics of Integration in Germany representatives with a migrant background to behave different than male legislators with a similar background.  This paper builds on these findings to examine how the gendering of substantive representation affects the immigration discourse in Germany. Substantive representation of gender is frequently represented as a reaction to the male experience.  Are migrant women legislators trying to change the dominant discourse with regard to immigrant integration and in what ways?  Using content analysis to examine parliamentary plenary debates concerning head scarves, family reunification, and domestic violence, this paper will seek to define what migrant women’s interests are, and to assess the extent to which migrant women legislators are shaping debates in Germany on these issues.