Women migrant workers with precarious legal status in the agricultural sector in Southern Italy

This country report, developed within the framework of the I-CLAIM project, explores the living and working conditions of migrant women employed in the agricultural sector of southern Italy, with a specific focus on rural areas in the provinces of Naples and Caserta in the Campania region. Drawing on extensive ethnographic fieldwork carried out between February 2024 and April 2025, the report examines how legal precarity, undeclared work and gender-based exploitation intersect to shape the daily lives of these women. Most of the participants, mainly from Ukraine, have experienced transitions between regular and irregular legal statuses, often finding themselves in a state of uncertainty and vulnerability that affects not only their employment, but also their living conditions. Agricultural work is mainly undeclared and underpaid. Even when workers have valid residence permits, their employment is often irregular or only partially declared. This grey zone of labour relations contributes to persistent irregular work and exploitation. Many women report low wages, strenuous work patterns and poor safety conditions, including exposure to aggressive chemicals and a lack of toilets. Gendered dynamics further exacerbate this situation: women typically face sexist attitudes and, in some cases, sexual harassment in workplaces. In this context, undocumented status drastically reduces bargaining power and increases vulnerability to abuse.