Female Nigerian asylum seekers in Italy: An exploration of gender identity dimensions through an interpretative phenomenological analysis

We present a qualitative study exploring the subjective meanings that five female Nigerian asylum seekers hosted in Italy attributed to their pre-migratory, migratory and post-migratory experiences, with an examination in-depth of the gender identity dimensions. We developed and administered semi-structured interviews, analyzed according to the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. On the background of the identity breakdown produced by forced migration, we highlight an inadequate integration process of the gender roles of woman and mother, generating a fracture that makes women’s experiences particularly fragile. Reflections on the implication of the study and of the development of intervention programs will be outlined.