Blandine MollardProject Officer, Gender Coordination UnitInternational Organization for Migration

Highly Skilled Migrant Women Integration into the Labour Market: Challenges, Opportunities and Responses

October 14th 2013

The psychosocial impact of deskilling on the lives of qualified

migrant women in Geneva

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I.I. Project context: IOM MandateProject context: IOM Mandate

II.II. Key elements about deskilling, Key elements about deskilling, underemployment and womenunderemployment and women

III.III. Research findings from GenevaResearch findings from Geneva

IV.IV. RecommandationsRecommandations

Overview

Project context: IOM Mandate

• Increase knowledge of migration and its gendered aspects

• Promote positive links between migration and socio-economic development

• Sensitize partners to specific challenges women face in the migration context

Complement existing knowledge with a focus on the psychosocial dimensions

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I. Key elements on deskilling and women

Deskilling relates to Deskilling relates to the situation of being the situation of being overqualified for one’s job in terms of education, overqualified for one’s job in terms of education, professional experience or bothprofessional experience or both, of skills not being used, of skills not being used

Concerns migrants most particularlyConcerns migrants most particularlyWorld Migration Report 2013- World Migration Report 2013-

Lack of career well-being strongly affects well-Lack of career well-being strongly affects well-being in other areasbeing in other areasMigrants less likely to rate their jobs as idealMigrants less likely to rate their jobs as ideal

I. Key elements on deskilling and women

Existing literature shows women are disproportionatly affected: Existing literature shows women are disproportionatly affected: – Women under-represented in sought after occupations (IT, Women under-represented in sought after occupations (IT,

business, engineering,…)business, engineering,…)

– Women dominate in professions less easily transferrable and Women dominate in professions less easily transferrable and more defined in the national context (education, law, public more defined in the national context (education, law, public administration,…)administration,…)

– With migration, harder to concile family and work balanceWith migration, harder to concile family and work balance

– Less likely to migrate with a job contract, mostly considered as Less likely to migrate with a job contract, mostly considered as non-economic migrantsnon-economic migrants

– Spouse support in regaining professional status shown to be Spouse support in regaining professional status shown to be keykey

Research objectives

Hypothesis: Professional insatisfaction will lead to signs of distress (anxiety and depression)

Qualitative focus- Semi-structured interview (2 hours) combined with a 66 item questionnaire on well-being.

Selection criteria:– Age ≥18 year old– From a non OECD country– Tertiary education obtained in a non OECD country– Allowed to work in Switzerland– Proficiency in French– Employed below their level of education and experience

Interview with 7 public services and civil society organizations

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•33 women age between 26 and 6233 women age between 26 and 62

•Main regions of origin: Latin America, Eastern Africa, AsiaMain regions of origin: Latin America, Eastern Africa, Asia

•Various migration trajectoriesVarious migration trajectories

•High career aspirations upon arrivalHigh career aspirations upon arrival

•At least 5 years of tertiary educationAt least 5 years of tertiary education

•16 different professions16 different professions

•On average, 9 years of relevant professional experienceOn average, 9 years of relevant professional experience

•Engaged in low skilled, precarious and part time jobs Engaged in low skilled, precarious and part time jobs (mainly cleaning, childcare, elderly care, sales,…)(mainly cleaning, childcare, elderly care, sales,…)

Respondants’ profilesRespondants’ profiles

• Deskilling occurred regardless of the partners’ socio economic statusDeskilling occurred regardless of the partners’ socio economic status• Job search long, unsucessful and disapointingJob search long, unsucessful and disapointing• 60% High psychological distress (signs of anxiety and depression) 60% High psychological distress (signs of anxiety and depression)

during job searchduring job search• Level of distress correlated with level of deskilling and more acute Level of distress correlated with level of deskilling and more acute

when children under 12when children under 12• Marital difficulties including separation, divorceMarital difficulties including separation, divorce• 77% highly infastified with their professional situation:77% highly infastified with their professional situation:

– Feeling of humiliation, loss of identityFeeling of humiliation, loss of identity– Miss the satisfactions of their professionsMiss the satisfactions of their professions– Feeling of powerlessness at the stiff barriers to qualified jobsFeeling of powerlessness at the stiff barriers to qualified jobs• Only half feel they belong to their host communityOnly half feel they belong to their host community

Main findings: Reactions to professional downgrading

Main conclusions• Qualified migrant women arriving in Geneva between 30 and 40 face

cumulative negative factors for the integration into the labor market.

• High barriers to employment cause great psychological distress forcing women to give up a part of her identity, to compensate with other areas of his life and enjoy at least secondary benefits of paid employment.

• Severe deskilling related to high anxiety and significant integration difficulties

• Waste to the country of origin and the host country, and challenges gender equality dynamics

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RecommandationsRecommandations

•Promote gender-sensitive migration policies (admission systems)Promote gender-sensitive migration policies (admission systems)

•Analyse any un-met demand for low skilled labour on the labour Analyse any un-met demand for low skilled labour on the labour market that could constitute a risk factor for underemployment and market that could constitute a risk factor for underemployment and deskillingdeskilling

•Improve systems of accreditation of foreign credentialsImprove systems of accreditation of foreign credentials

•Improve access to information for qualified migrants upon arrivalImprove access to information for qualified migrants upon arrival

•Facilitate access to reskilling opportunitiesFacilitate access to reskilling opportunities

Thank you

Blandine MollardProject Officer

Gender Coordination UnitInternational Organization for Migration

Highly Skilled Migrant Women Integration into the Labour Market: Challenges, Opportunities and Responses

October 14th 2013