Refugee and Immigrant Women Not Properly Addressed by Workplace Integration Measures. Expert Jutta Rump explains how the entry into the job market can be improved for these women.
Refugees in the Job Market
The job market is becoming diverse – and that's a good thing! What is a logical conclusion from the perspective of labor market research also seems to have been recognized by German companies. Survey results bring hope: According to a survey by the Institute for Employment and Employability (IBE) and HAYS, 60 percent of companies can imagine hiring refugees. Around 20 percent already do so.
The topic of intercultural cooperation is coming into focus. What can a company do to turn strangers into colleagues? This is one of the key questions that the current and future job market must address. Initiatives like "In Arbeit" by the Initiative Neue Qualität der Arbeit already provide important impulses, ideas, and consulting opportunities when it comes to collaboration in diverse teams.
While the job market – also considering the aging population in Germany – looks forward to the arrival of young, capable, and motivated workers, a large population group does not seem to play a significant role in current planning: refugee women and first-generation immigrant women coming to Germany.
However, they exist – and their numbers are growing: According to data from the Refugee Research Network, about one-third of asylum applications in 2014 and 2015 were submitted by women. So why are these women not being seen and why do they not yet play a major role in labor market integration?
The Situation of Immigrant and Refugee Women
Initial studies show that refugee and immigrant women have come to stay and build a future here. This includes a strong motivation to participate in the life of the new society. However, the situation of women differs significantly from that of men: The established integration strategies cannot be directly applied to the reality of women.
The reasons are diverse and start from their arrival. For example, to a much greater extent than with men, the success of women's integration depends on the family situation. The woman is directly responsible for the well-being of the family, whether due to cultural divisions of tasks or organizational circumstances (women and children are accommodated separately from men in refugee shelters). Therefore, for reasons that are personally understandable, aspects like language acquisition and labor market access are often postponed. A vicious cycle begins: The needs of women remain "invisible" because they do not take advantage of existing offers – because these do not meet their needs.
The group of refugee or immigrant women is very heterogeneous – yet they are not yet seen as potential skilled workers by society and companies as a whole: Besides family-bound women with small children, older, widowed, or divorced women also arrive in Germany. These groups have a particularly hard time finding their place in our society. Nevertheless, they often have professional qualifications and possess great potential that can enrich the job market. On the other hand, girls and young women who quickly integrate into school and work secure good starting opportunities in Germany.
Of course, the situation of a refugee woman from the civil war in Syria cannot be compared to that of an immigrant woman from Turkey. However, it is generally observed that the employment rate for women with a migration background is only around 53% – a situation we should not accept.
Between Prejudices and Disadvantageous Structures: The "Double Discrimination"
Even though integration strategies for men must differ from those for women, the overarching goal is the same: Work is the number one integration engine. Collaboration brings social contacts, reduces prejudices towards the "foreign," and brings together people of various backgrounds and biographies. At the same time, work means economic independence and is therefore an important factor for independence and self-determination in our society.
Entering the workforce is not always easy: Prejudices based on gender and origin shape the (often unconscious) attitudes of many employers: "Does her husband even allow her to work?" "Will 'the new one' be frequently absent due to family responsibilities?" These and other fears and prejudices are unfortunately widespread. In addition, there are structures that make it difficult for women with a migration background to enter the job market. These include complex and lengthy recognition procedures for foreign qualifications, as well as the traditional career hierarchy in companies designed for linear career paths.
This discrimination through structures and prejudices can also be observed in women without a migration background – think of the documented "Gender Pay Gap." For women with a migration background, discrimination is much heavier, as they lack the networks, structures, and often the family support for assistance. By the way, according to a study by the project "Beratung Qualifizierung Migration" funded by the European Social Fund, ALL women with a migration background, regardless of their education level and professional status, have experienced discrimination.
3 Thought-Provoking Ideas to Facilitate Immigrant Women's Entry into the Workforce
We can all, as employers, colleagues, or in our personal lives, contribute to reducing the discrimination against women with a migration background in the job market. Here are three thought-provoking ideas:
1. View Diversity as Strength – Recognize Individual Skills
Diversity in teams increases satisfaction, motivation, and thus the quality of results – this effect has been proven by studies. More important than a school diploma is how a person complements a team with their individual strengths. Forward-thinking leaders already think in terms of long-term teams, focusing on individual skills rather than certificates and degrees.
2. Establish a Welcoming Culture in Companies – Develop Structures to Facilitate Entry
To make the job market more open, we need to consider which mechanisms and structures make it difficult for immigrant women and women in general to enter and advance in their careers. Important aspects to enable more women with a migration background to enter the workforce include work-life balance and opportunities for further education. Whether it's supporting the organization of childcare or providing compensatory hours for important German language courses – together, we must remove barriers. However, the support goes beyond this and can take various forms. Carpooling to work, assistance with bureaucratic procedures, homework help for children – we can all make a significant contribution in small ways.
3. Mentors and Professional Role Models
To establish oneself professionally in a foreign country and culture, one needs orientation. Mentoring programs can be a good way to provide this guidance and show possible career paths. There are many regional initiatives that connect mentors and mentees. Interested individuals can also engage on a smaller scale, for example, through language exchange partnerships. It is important to seek mutual contact and signal support – so that the enormous potential of the "invisible gender" is finally seen and utilized.
More information about Prof. Dr. Jutta Rump: http://www.esa100.de/redner/jutta-rump.html
More articles on the topic:
https://www.bundestag.de/presse/hib/201605/-/424172
https://calendar.boell.de/de/event/frauen-und-flucht-zur-situation-gefluechteter-frauen-deutschland
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