Maria Paola Ayala Godoy - ICTS 2025 Visiting Research Scholar
Maria Paola Ayala Godoy, a Paraguayan PhD student in Geography at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, was the Irish Centre for Transnational Studies (ICTS) 2025 Visiting Research Scholar.
I am a Paraguayan PhD student in Geography at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. My doctoral research is entitled ‘Estoy más de allá que acá’ (I am more from there than from here) and focuses on analysing the transnational practices of Paraguayan migrant women in Spain, when trying to maintain connections with their families in their country of origin. Given that Paraguayan migration in Spain has a predominantly female face, I interviewed 20 women living in Madrid and Barcelona, as well as their relatives in Paraguay, exploring how these women play a crucial role as the main economic providers in their households.
The practices observed include their involvement in educating their children remotely, managing purchases through online platforms in Paraguayan supermarkets, and other efforts to maintain an active and meaningful connection with their families. In my research, I have employed a qualitative methodology, based on interviews and complemented by the use of reflective photography. This approach has allowed me to visually and narratively capture the transnational dynamics that underpin these relationships.
During my stay at Mary Immaculate College as an ICTS Visiting Research Scholar in Spring 2025, I was privileged to participate in activities at the Irish Centre for Transnational Studies (ICTS) that broadened my perspective considerably. On 18 March I participated in the ICTS Symposium Contested (Hi)Stories in Media and Creative Art, which addressed narratives of global conflict and forced migration. I also presented my research at the GeoNight event on 9 April, which allowed me to engage in dialogue with other international and PhD students in Geography. The visit enriched my international academic experience, fostering valuable interdisciplinary connections in the fields of transnational studies, gender and migration. With thanks to my mentor at the ICTS, Associate Professor Dr Sabine Egger, the Research and Graduate School and the International Office for their support.
