Intra-EU Mobility of Professional Women – Survey Results: Networking, Employment Services and Information

Posted on by highlyskilledmigrantwomen

In 2014, I called on the support of intra-EU mobile professional women to answer the “Survey on Mobility of Highly Skilled Female EU citizens in the European Union”. Today, I would like to announced that my article “Networking, Employment Services and Information: Key Findings from a Survey on Intra‐EU Mobility of High‐Skilled Women” has been published by the International Migration Journal, which can be found at WileyOnlineLibrary

I take this opportunity, to thank all of those who supported this research endeavour, in particular the respondents.  Your answers provided this researcher with valuable insights giving an opportunity to understand common challenges and successful strategies in accessing the labour market with respect to intra-EU mobility. Moreover, your words and experiences stayed with me and were a major force propelling towards the completion of this work, since I believe your “voices” must be heard, and your experiences acknowledged, especially by those who have the means to bring forward positive change. Your experience may represent only “a sample” in social science; yet they are representative of many others in the path of mobility filled with challenges and opportunities, while remaining invisible to most stakeholders. It is to be hoped that this sample leads to ever bigger samples as a contribution to greater knowledge on the subject and greater acknowledgement of the experiences of those in the mobility path. It is also hoped that both knowledge and acknowledgement lead to positive change towards greater opportunities for economic independence, gender equality, diversity and personal well-being and fulfilment as called for by many EU/international commitments, noteworthy the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-25. We live in a society where more women graduate from universities than their male peers; yet we still face a gender gap in the labour market and decision-making positions, leading to many talented women being left behind.

To those high-skilled migrants and intra-EU mobile women who are experiencing the challenges of integration into the labour market, it is hoped that the contribution of one of the Respondents’ be an inspiration and a reminder to you, as it has been for me: 

“Don’t give up. There are people out there who appreciate your qualifications, work experiences and skills!”