Riano Vienna_Challenges & Opportunities for web page filePD Dr. Yvonne Riaño Seminar on Highly...

PD Dr. Yvonne Riaño Seminar on Highly Skilled Migrant Women, Vienna, 14.10.2013

Skilled Migrant Women‘s Integration in the Labour Market: Challenges and Opportunities

Structure

1.  Research basis

2.  Situation in the labour market

3.  Challenges

4.  Creating opportunities?

1. Research projects

“Understanding the (Un)equal Situations of Skilled Professionals in the Swiss Labour Market: The Role of Gender and Origin” (2011-2013)

Quantitative: Analysis of the Swiss Labour Force Survey and the Swiss Income Structure Survey (2008)

Qualitative: 80 biographical interviews and 3 MINGA workshops with native and foreign-born men and women (EU- & non-EU)

“Gaining Access to the Labour Market in Switzerland: Experiences & Strategies of Skilled Migrant Women” (2008-2010)

Qualitative: 60 biographical interviews and 12 MINGA workshops with women from Latin America, the Middle East and South East Europe study, marriage, asylum, work / various professions

© PD Dr. Yvonne Riaño

140 Biographical interviews: 106 Women & 34 Men

41 native-born and 99 foreign-born 35 Couples (with children), 15 Single-parents

Tertiary education or vocational training, 35+ years old, 14 Swiss cantons

2. Skilled migrant women‘s situation in the labour market: a comparative perspective

Table 1. Residents of Switzerland with tertiary education by gender and origin, 2008

Source: SFSO: Swiss Labour Force Survey 2008; own calculations Bühler & Riaño (Ausb_1)

Men %

Women %

Native-born 36 20

Foreign-born 33 28

EU-Born 40 33

Other-Europe born 11 10

Non-EU born 43 40

Table 2. Labour market status of highly-skilled population aged 15-60 by origin and gender, Switzerland, 2008

Source: SFSO: Swiss Labour Force Survey 2008; own calculations Bühler & Riaño (Eb_5a)

Unemployed- and lacking an income (unpaid work)

Men %

Women %

Gender gap

Native-born 13 23 +10

Foreign-born 15 31 +16

EU-Born 11 23 +12

Other-Europe born 20 40 +20

Non-EU born 18 37 +19

Table 3. Average yearly gross income of full-time employees with a leadership position by origin and by gender, Switzerland, 2008

Source: SFSO: Swiss Labour Force Survey 2008; own calculations Bühler & Riaño (Es_8)

Men %

Women %

Gender gap

Native-born 88,000 68,000 -20,000

Foreign-born 72,000 58,000 -14,000

EU-Born 78,000 65,000 -13,000

Other-Europe born 66,000 51,000 -15,000

Non-EU born 72,000 59,000 -13,000

Over-qualification rate of employed population aged 25-54 by origin and by gender, EU countries, 2008

Native-born EU-born Non-EU born

Total 19% 29% 36%

Men 19% 27% 35%

Women 19% 30% 38%

Source: Eurostat, Labour Force Survey 2008

3. Challenges that skilled migrant women face, a comparative perspective

Professional biographies in comparative perspective: Agronomist & Forest Engineer


Labour-market participation of skilled migrant women: typology of situations

a)   Lacking access to paid work Homework

Unemployed

b) Access to paid work, but

jobs below qualifications

Short-term employment

Long-term employment

c) Access to paid work, jobs

according to qualifications

Short-term employment

Long-term employment

Source: Riaño 2011

1. Challenges tied to origin

•  Lacking professional networks and local know-how

•  Lacking language proficiency for highly-skilled jobs

•  Lacking family networks

•  Lacking valuation / recognition of foreign skills & qualifications

2. Challenges tied to gender

•  Lacking sufficient & affordable child-care infrastructure

•  Balancing family & career: migrant woman‘s double burden

•  Prevailing view of men as main bread-winners


1. Challenges tied to policy frameworks

•  Lacking explicit recognition of family migrants as workers

•  Disadvantages created by dual system of migrant rights

•  Lacking counselling oriented to prevent de-skilling

•  Lack of independent right to stay for marriage migrants

2. Challenges tied to geographical location

•  Disadvantages created by peripheral locations: longer travelling time to study and work, lacking public transport facilities, lacking child-care infrastructure, lacking counselling facilities

?

? Economic integration

HSM LSM

FM LM


4. Avoiding brain waste & creating opportunities

What strategies and what actors? Origin

Lacking professional networks & lack of value given to foreign skills

•  “Returnship” programmes: acquiring local work experience and helping break down prejudice regarding foreign skills

•  Mentoring programmes: mentees can access their mentor's professional networks and benefit from their experience

Employers

Gender equality

Migrant integration •  Diploma recognition standards / bridging programmes

Educational institutions


What strategies and what actors? Origin

Migrant integration

Profess. associations and finance sector

Lacking language skills and job opportunities

•  Language courses aimed at highly-skilled jobs, in cooperation with professional associations

•  Migrant women’s own initiatives: Supporting, accompanying, monitoring entrepreneurial activities


What strategies and what actors? Gender

Family & career as double burden for skilled migrant women

•  Family friendly work environments: e.g. part-time for skilled men, job sharing schemes, support for dual career families, smooth transitions to and from parental leave for women & men

•  Work friendly child-care programmes & infrastructure: extensively available in both rural & urban areas, affordable, flexible

•  Raising awareness within families: conscious reflecting on possible consequences of a couple‘s choices (division of work, place to live) for the woman‘s personal & professional future (de-skilling, autonomy, self-esteem)

Employers

Gender equality

Family

•  Programmes to increase geographical mobility in peripheral areas so as to reduce travel time to work thus making it easier for migrant women to reconcile family and career

Regional planning

What strategies and what actors? Policy frameworks

Lacking programmes for skilled migrants / supporting women’s careers

Gender equality

•  Gender- & highly-skilled oriented integration and counseling programmes: preventing women’s de-skilling, encouraging their career advancement; viewing family migrants as workers

Migrant integration

Social institutions


Individual

Employers Gender equality

Migrant integration

Social institutions

Regional planning

Educational institutions

Family

Finance sector & prof. associations

Creating opportunities: Cooperation between all actors involved


References Riaño Yvonne (2011): "Drawing New Boundaries of Participation: Experiences and Strategies of Economic Citizenship among Skilled Migrant Women in Switzerland". Environment and Planning A. London, Volume 43: pp. 1530-1546.

Thanks for your attention! [email protected]

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