INCLUDING MIGRANT WOMEN IN THE EUROPEAN LABOUR FORCE 8 th. March,2011 Chair

- We are a network of migrant women’s organizations with national platforms in 13 EU Member States and individual members in 20 countries - Among the network members we have a wide range of expertise on issues pertaining to migrant women - All members have been working on a range of issues at national levels and are looking forward to synchronizing their efforts to bring them to the EU level EUROPEAN NETWORK OF MIGRANT WOMEN Including Migrant Women in the European Labour force March Virginia Wangare Greiner

- January 2007 – 3 day workshop in Brussels European Women’s Lobby invited experts from migrant women’s organizations around Europe to share their experiences as migrant women living in Europe - Results of the first meeting were documented in a publication “Equal Rights, Equal Voices: Migrant Women in the European Union” Our history Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

Within the EU Member States, there is a shared experience of serious skill shortages, mainly in the following fields: qualified IT workers, health care professionals, education and social services personnel, and engineers. These shortages not only hamper production and growth, but they undermine national and regional targets in the provision of health, education and social services. The Roadmap for Gender Equality calls for progress in the areas such as the reconciliation of work, private and family life and the elimination of gender stereotypes in society. This Roadmap also underscores the need to combat the multiple discrimination faced by migrant women. These major areas of gender equality require facilitation of all women’s participation in the workforce through the provision of a range of support services and facilities. The Context of Europe Including Migrant women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

Third-country migrants constitute the largest number of female migrants in the work-force in the EU except for the states of Luxembourg and Belgium. Migrants are described as those having a foreign country of birth, and include both foreign nationals and naturalised citizens. Two major determinants of migrant women lower participation rate in the labour force are the age of the youngest child and how recently the migrant women arrived in the receiving country. Across the EU, the unemployment rates for third-country migrant women are higher than the rates for third-country migrant men. The Context of Europe Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

Disadvantage in the unemployment field for third-country migrant women is also linked to two other components, underemployment (involuntary part-time employment) and short-term (temporary contract) employment. Under-employment and short-term employment are especially important for evaluating migrant women’s disadvantage in the ‘new’ migrant receiving countries of Southern Europe, as both these forms of employment disadvantage are prevalent in these countries. Under-employment is more common among third-country migrant women than EU born migrant women and third-country migrant men. Disadvantage in the labour market Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, Virginia Wangare Greiner

The highest proportion of short-term employment contracts among employed third- country migrant women is to be found in the ‘new’ migrant receiving countries of Southern Europe and Cyprus and the Czech Republic in the Accession Group. This particular disadvantage is mainly linked to the migrant factor. Occupational segregation and concentration of third-country migrant women is another way of evaluating both gender and racial/ethnic inequality in the labour market. The concept of segregation is used to refer to the tendency for men and women to be employed in different occupations from each other whereas, concentrations refers to the tendency for different groups to be represented in higher proportions than some others in certain occupations and employment sectors. Evaluating gender inequality Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, Virginia Wangare Greiner

Migrant women are more highly concentrated in occupations that require lower skill, with sales and services elementary occupations and personal and protective services accounting for two-fifths’ of all migrant women’s employment. Their concentration in the lowest skilled sectors limits their rights as workers, their mobility in the employment sector, their opportunities for career progression and their chances for human capital development. Virginia Wangare Greiner Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011

- The high levels of concentration of third-country migrant women in the lowest skilled sectors indicate that their integration into the EU labour force is at best fractional; they have jobs but lack many of the rights and opportunities that full integration entails, which is often compounded by their status as illegal immigrants. This situation highlights that even when migrant women are in employment, the quality of their employment tends to be poor, exposing them to economic and social vulnerability. Disadvantage against migrant women Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

- Although the proportion of women migrants holding tertiary degrees are comparable with immigrant men in many regions, the difference in employment rates (lower) for skilled migrant women compared to skilled native-born women and skilled migrant men may be attributable to several factors, such as the recognition of foreign degrees, language barriers, the attitude of the country of origin towards women’s employment and the limited access of immigrants to public sector jobs. This is particularly relevant for migrant women, as the professions in which women are often concentrated are those predominantly governed by the public sector. Disadvantage for third country migrant women Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

Migrant women are providing the infrastructure that facilitates higher numbers of native-born women to enter paid employment, especially in medium and high-skilled occupations. This is the case whatever the skill level of the third-country migrant. Yet, this domestic work is problematic as the unregulated, insecure and privatised nature of such work leaves the migrant woman vulnerable, facilitating human right abuses and opening her up to exploitation. The skills and contributions that all women provide to European economies are increasingly significant given the agenda for jobs and growth in the European economy. The protection of domestic and care-workers and the provision of security and benefits are crucial to ensure that the economic and social successes of some are not built on inequalities and exploitation of others. Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

Such changes require effective and practical measures and policy instruments. These also require a re-evaluation of domestic and care-work, its role in the economy and society and its contributions to the welfare of communities if the rights and opportunities of domestic and care-workers are to be realised. The situation of foreign qualifications must be addressed across the EU as part of the globalization of labour. In an age where the emphasis is on managing migration, amidst a fear of what native communities may feel about the migrant, the EU should also trumpet the contribution of migrant women workers who are foundational to native-born women contributing to the economy of Europe plc. If third-country migrant women pay their taxes and make their economical contributions, then they should benefit equally from the various EU regions. There is no room for EQUAL RESPONSIBILITIES BUT NOT EQUAL RIGHTS AND PRIVELEGES. Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner

THANK YOU Including Migrant Women in the European Labour Force March 8, 2011 Virginia Wangare Greiner