Mainstreaming ‘gender’ and ‘integration’ needs in human development initiatives: Asian and African migrant women's integration in Europe
| Published date | 01 April 2023 |
| Author | Muhammad Wajid Tahir,Rubina Kauser |
| Date | 01 April 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/imig.13006 |
260
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International Migration. 2023;61:260–282.
wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/imig
Received: 12 Oc tober 2021
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Revised: 31 Januar y 2022
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Accepted: 22 March 2 022
DOI: 10.1111/imig.13006
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Mainstreaming ‘gender’ and ‘integration’ needs in
human development initiatives: Asian and African
migrant women’s integration in Europe
Muhammad Wajid Tahir1 | Rubina Kauser2
This is an open ac cess article und er the terms of the Crea tive Commons Attr ibution License, w hich permits use , distribution an d
reproduct ion in any medium, pro vided the origina l work is properly cit ed.
© 2022 The Auth ors. International Migration published by John W iley & Sons Ltd on behalf o f International Or ganization for
Migration.
1Institute of Po litical Science, P hilipps
Universit y Marburg, Marbu rg, Germany
2Faculty of Psyc hology, Philipps Uni versity
Marburg, Ma rburg, Germany
Correspondence
Muhammad Wajid Tahir, Phi lipps Universit y
Marburg, In stitute of Politic al Science,
Wilhelm- Röpke- Str. 6E, 35032, Marbur g,
Germ any.
Email: wajidtahir@daad-alumni.de
Funding information
Fritz Thysse n Stiftung
Abstract
The current study ex amines the inclusion of ‘gender’ in the
policies/legislation relating to the h uman development of
women migrants (from Asian and African or igins) and their
impact on six determinants of migrant’s ge nder ideolog y
in t wo different European gender regi mes: Germany and
Sweden. The study is conducted in four stages: (1) thematic
analysis of dif ferent conventions and re commendations of
the UN, ILO, and EU, (2) latent analysis of selected poli-
cies/legislation, (3) survey of women migrants, and (4) ex-
pert interviews. Exposure to relatively egalitarian gender
regimes through migr ation has brought positive changes in
all determinants of the gender ideology of migrant s, except
domestic chores and caregiving responsibilities. Inclusion
of a missing ‘gend er’ perspective in relevant measures can
expedite smooth integration of migrants, but lack of po-
litical com mitment, scarcity of financial res ources, the ab-
sence of gender expert s, and lack of coordination between
line ministries/agencies ar e salient barriers to its ‘inclusion’
in both countries.
|
261
MAINSTREAMING ‘GENDER’ AND ‘INTEGRATION’ NEEDS
INTRODUCTION
In t he recent stream of mi gration, m illions of women have migra ted from relatively less gender- egalitarian to
gender transitional or more gender- egalitarian regimes (Ponce , 2017; Röder & Mühlau, 20 14). Past scholarship
asserts that relatively less gender- egalitarian regimes are more likely to possess conservative gender ideology
that reinforces women’s domestic and caregiving roles, gender- transitional regimes possess moderate gender
norms and adopt a few measu res to improve the status of women, wherea s the relatively more gender- egalitar ian
regimes possess relatively more liberal gender norms and introduce several measures to empower women in all
spheres of life (Guo & Gilb ert, 2012; Ingle hart & Norris, 2003; Röder & Mü hlau, 2014). Now it is hard to predict
what changes gender- transitional or relatively more gender- egalitarian regimes will bring in the gender relations of
migrants1. Most feminist s of relatively more gender- egalitarian reg imes analyse the situation of migrant s (women)
with thei r own lenses, thus often p erceiving them as ignorant, poor, and depen dent in compari son to their own
level of modernity an d freedom (D echaufour, 2008; S uleri, 1995). Thus, they predict a lethargic change in their
gender relation s up to destination standa rds, though they themsel ves are not ideal, which is stro ngly criticized by
postcolonial feminists. For instance, Mohanty (1988) believes that patr iarchy does not operate identically in origi n
and destination2 countries, thus migrant’s gender spa ce and relations cannot b e determin ed or shaped based
on percep tions of west ern feminists or indepen dent of their race, ethni city, class, an d religion. I t requires d eep
analysis to see if they may hold an origin- gender perspective or adopt relatively differing normative standards of
destination co untries (Llacer et al., 20 07; Pessin & Arpino, 2 018).
Germany and Swede n are famo us places of desti nation in Eur ope (DESTATIS, 2015; Eurostat , 2016;
Migrationsverket, 2015). Different indicators3 have categor ized Germany as a gender- transitional re gime (GDI:
0.963 & GGI: 46) an d Sweden as a relatively m ore gender- egalitarian reg ime (GDI: 0.999 & GGI: 4) in comparison
to many orig in countries (such as case studie s of the current study). In 2015, Germany has rece ived 0.84 millio n
migrant me n and 0.65 mi llion women (DES TATIS, 2 015) and Swede n has received 0.12 million migra nt men and
0.05 million women from different countries (Migrationsverket, 2015). These statistics confirm the ‘feminization
of migration’ (Eurost at, 2016) that requ ires special s tate measures to integrate4 wom en migrants in to these coun-
tries. Althou gh it is presumed that prevailing measure s will guarantee equal benefit s for natives and migrants, and
for wo men and me n, past studie s indic ate that the ultim ate gain s of women are cont radic tory an d vary fr om agen-
cies to societies (King, 2012; Mah ler & Pessar, 2006). These findings give way for questionin g the effectiveness of
emerging str ategies to integrate both gend ers on equal footing.
The present research focuses on the gender mainstreaming of public policies/legislation relating to the human
development of migrants, and their possible cont ribution to their ideological tra nsition towards gend er relations
in destinatio n countries. The study a ims to answer the following que stions:
1. Do countries of destin ation mainstream ‘gender’ into their po licies/legislation and subseq uent programs/
projects to expedite wome n migrant’s integratio n with destination so cieties based on reco mmendations
of various internat ional forums?
2. Does migration from gender inegalita rian to egalitarian regimes bring chan ge in gender ideo logy of women
migrants and t heir families towards women’s role s and responsibilities in de stination countries?
3. If yes the n, to what exte nt do destinatio n policies/legislatio n/programs explain changes in gender ideology of
women migrant s and their families?
FACTORS THAT SHAPE GENDER IDEOLOGY
Past st udies have exp lained women’s mi gration and integration proce sses from di fferent aspec ts and one of
them is gender ideology which can be conservative or liberal. Gender ideology refers to the culturally determined
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