Memorializing Women on the Move: A register of migrant women landmarks in Europe

Abstract

This dataset was developed by COST Action 19112 Women on the Move (WEMov), which engages in unveiling women migrants' presence and participation in the construction of Europe. The dataset was built as a register of toponyms and monuments in the political and public landscape in Europe – such as street names, school names and parks, as well as statues and memorials – that celebrate women migrants. With the dataset we want to discover how women migrants are remembered and what kind of landmarks present these individuals who have had an episode of migration for a variety of reasons. Moreover, our aim is to make these landmarks and the stories of women migrants visible by presenting the results of the dataset in an interactive map on our website. At the moment, the dataset includes 1000 landmarks. The collection of data was based on voluntary work of scholars and students from over 40 different European countries. We have aimed for broad geographical coverage; however, some areas are better represented than others due the nature of data collection. The collection of data is an ongoing process and therefore the dataset in Nakala repository, to which this data note refers, presents the situation in July 2023. Updated versions of the dataset will be made available in Nakala and we will download new landmarks to our interactive map on a regular basis. The selected landmarks and migrant trajectories feature cross-community or cross-cultural migration. They show both typical and exceptional forms of mobility and present women of different age, profession, social status and migration status. This intersectionality of the project and the dataset highlights not only the richness of these landmarks and their value for scholarship but also the wide spectrum of migrant women and their contribution to society.