Searching for the Best Way of Integration: Migrant Women in Europe

Abstract

Nowadays, the significance of women in the international movement of migrants is important both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view. Many migrant women move to other countries either on their own or to join their husbands or other family members. The number of migrant women is also increasing in Europe. For this reason, focusing on the phenomenon of gender-based migration has become an important research element and affects many areas. The mass migration of women from highly diverse cultural backgrounds to European countries draws particular attention to the problems of integrating these women in host countries. However, most European countries lack integration policies that take into account the real needs of migrant women. Given that women account for almost half of all migrants, data on migration should be gender-sensitive and state policies must take into account how gender actually shapes the different needs of migrants. Also, since migrant women/refugees who come to European countries constitute a heterogeneous group in many respects, this heterogeneity should be taken into account in integration processes. In this article, two issues have been taken into account as research questions: 1, are immigrant/refugee women treated the same as immigrant/refugee men? and 2, is gender taken into account in the integration policies of European countries? To study the issues presented in the article, a review of the available literature was used, as well as data available on the websites of the OECD and the European Commission.