Around the world, women are entering the workplace in ever greater numbers, but unequal child-rearing expectations mean that an often insufficient supply of childcare is a major hurdle to overcome.  Given the challenges for native women, it is perhaps understandable that female refugees face even greater hurdles.

New research from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) highlights the scale of the problem.  The study interviewed refugees in Germany, Niger, and Kenya to understand both the economic aspirations and barriers faced by female refugees.

Common hurdles

Despite the uniqueness of the refugees’ backgrounds, a number of common hurdles emerged that prevented the women from participating in the formal economy.

“Economic programs in all settings -whether humanitarian, developing or wealthy contexts- are often designed without taking into account gender, let alone the unique needs and aspirations of refugee women in the specific contexts in which they live,” the researchers explain. “This new research further shines a light on the issues refugee women face in accessing the formal labor market and achieving economic empowerment, and for one of the first times, it’s in their own words. It is critical that we listen to these women and look for creative ways to remove these barriers, which will not only benefit displaced women, but the host countries in which they reside.”

The study explains that under or unemployment is sadly all too common among female refugees, and is far more common than in other populations.  What’s more, this situation has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data shows that refugee women consistently have significantly lower employment rates than refugee men, or indeed other women in their host country.  Those in work also face significant pay gaps.  This was especially so in Germany, where none of the women were in any kind of work, whether formal or informal.

A number of consistent barriers emerged, including a lack of access to capital, uncertain legal status, difficulties having skills and qualifications recognized, and a lack of information about training and job opportunities.  They also highlighted challenges in terms of accessing childcare, as well as gender-based harassment, violence, and social stigma as considerable barriers to entry.

As such, many women maintained the unpaid care and household work in their adopted home, despite the considerable need to generate income.  It was also common for women to complain that male refugees were not sharing the household responsibilities, even if women were able to find work.

The researchers believe their work highlights some of the common challenges female refugees face around the world, combining to make an already extremely difficult situation even harder.  Despite the similarities in challenges faced, the authors hope that unique interventions will be designed to take account of the particular circumstances facing women in their respective countries.

It’s vital that all refugees are supported to enter the labor market and to utilize their skills as quickly as possible, and this applies to women just as much as men.  Hopefully this research will go some way towards ensuring that happens.