Talking of Abuse: Critical Discourse Analysis of Migrant Women Workers in the News

Abstract

A critical discourse analysis of four news articles reporting on sexual abuse of Filipino migrant women workers show how they are variably represented in media in terms of agency, gender equality and access to legal protection. Despite the existence of international laws and conventions for the rights of migrant workers, this international legal and rightsAbased discourse is not reflected in the news texts studied. Instead, the news texts make use of stereotypical representations of migrant workers that characterize them as immature or lacking in capacity to gain readers’ sympathy.