IWD 2021: The Realities of Migrant Women in Ireland
Author: Vithória Escobar
March is Women’s History Month. A time to remind and celebrate the women that changed and accomplished milestones in our culture and society.
Also a time to honor and appreciate the women in our present. A special shoutout to migrant women, who are true heroes. From multiple backgrounds, migrant women are persistent, brave and contribute immensely to Irish economy and culture.
Migrant women accomplished milestones in the country, however, they still face many challenges on their journey. Overrepresentation, xenophobia, racial and gender inequalities are some of the issues.
We’ve decided to dig into some of the topics affecting migrant women in Ireland nowadays. Spreading awareness and acknowledging are the first steps to change the situation.
Among the wider population, non-Irish nationals make up just over 12 percent (620,000 people) of the population in Ireland. The countries with the highest number of immigrants in Ireland are Poland and the UK, followed by Lithuania, Romania, and Brazil. Around 5,000 asylum seekers are living in direct provision centers.
Direct Provision
There are over 4,000 female asylum seekers living in Direct Provision centres in Ireland. This represents 44% of DP population and many of those women are living with their children. In many situations, migrant women seek refuge from horrible conditions in their home country and are looking for an opportunity to build a new life.
There are several complaints against the inhumane living conditions of Direct Provision centers and the alarming rate of depressing and abuse among those women. The Government is planning to use State accommodation to house asylum seekers. The plan is to end direct provision by 2024.
Labour Market
Migrant women face many obstacles on their journey, including seeking employment. Despite their qualifications, work experience and skills, it is extremely difficult for those women to access management roles and career progression. Even if they are living in Ireland for years.
Here are some stats from the NCP research Employability of Migrant Women in Ireland:
- 85.09% of the respondents have a third-level education
- 80.06 % have faced some barriers during the hiring process, such as race, networking, childcare, work permit, foreign recognition, accent, etc
- Migrant workers are more likely to be in lower-paid jobs
Domestic Violence
Migrant women are also affected by abusive relationships, with many cases of domestic and sexual violence being reported. The Migrant Women na hÉireann network flags that the abusers use immigration status to threaten those women and trap them in a relationship.
According to Teresa Buczkowska, integration manager with the Immigrant Council of Ireland, migrant women fear deportation if they seek help and support. It is important to note that if the partner doesn’t allow it, women are not allowed to leave the country and bring their child.
Further aspects that aggravate the relationship are language and cultural barriers, and also the isolation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Migrants and the Pandemic
The Covid-19 scenario worsened the challenges faced by many female migrants. Some of the stats reported by The Irish Times:
- Living conditions on direct provision centers are not aligned to Covid-19 public health guidelines
- There is a higher proportion of migrants living in rented houses and, frequently, sharing the space with other people and increasing the chances of overcrowding.
- Increase in case of domestic violence
- Black, Black Irish, Asian, Asian Irish and Traveller groups are more likely to contract Covid-19 than those who are White Irish
- Increased number of racism against Asian people in Ireland, which they attribute to “links made between Asian individuals and the origins of Covid-19 in China”
Regardless of all the difficulties, these women continue to fight for better working conditions and to be part of Irish society. # GoingFar's mission is to address the issues faced by the migrant community and help diversify the Irish workforce.
