Gender and Migration in Greece: The Position and Status of Albanian Women in Patras

Abstract

-Greece has experienced major changes in its migration patterns.After a century or so of emigration, it has now become a country of immigration. Much academic research has concentrated on the impact this change has on Greek society. However, there is a tendency to ignore the role that gender plays in the migration process. This article addresses the issue of Albanian immigration to Greece, focusing on the aspect of gender. It presents the living and working conditions of Albanian women who migrate to Greece, especially to one of its cities, Patras. It examines the new migration process through the eyes of women migrants. It is centred on their narration about their journey to Greece, their decision to migrate, the problems that they face, their experiences and plans for the future: in short, their life stories. Finally, the article draws attention to the need for further research on issues concerning migrant women in Greece.Key words : Greece, Albanian women, Patras, gender, migration. Resumo -GÉNERO E MIGRAÇÕES NA GRÉCIA: ESTATUTO DAS MULHERES EM PATRAS.A inserção da Grécia nos padrões migratórios mundiais tem vindo a passar por diversas transformações significativas. Após cerca de um século de história de emigração, este país tornou-se recentemente um destino para os fluxos migratórios. Numerosos estudos académicos têm incidido sobre o impacte destas transformações sobre a sociedade grega. No entanto, existe uma tendência para se ignorar o papel do género no processo migratório. Este artigo incide precisamente sobre esta questão, através do estudo das imigrantes albanesas na Grécia. São apresentadas as condições de vida e de trabalho das imigrantes albanesas neste país e, em particular, numa das suas cidades: Patras. Procede-se a uma análise dos novos processos migratórios através do olhar das mulheres migrantes. O artigo centra-se nos seus relatos acerca da sua viagem para a Grécia, da sua decisão de migrar, dos problemas que enfrentam e das suas experiências e planos para o futuro: em suma, nas suas histórias de vida. Por fim, o artigo chama a atenção para a necessidade de prosseguir e aprofundar a investigação acerca de temas relacionados com a situação das mulheres imigrantes na Grécia.

Domestic Violence against Albanian Immigrant Women in Greece: Facing Patriarchy

“…Since the special issue on women in migration that appeared in International Migration Review in 1984, there has been a growing body of scholarly literature in the United States and Europe that places gender at the center of inquiry about migration, emphasizing the importance of gender for the causes and consequences of international migration and how migration, its processes and outcomes, differ for males and females [9,31,60]. However, the issue of violence against immigrant women has received comparatively little scholarly attention.…”

“…What made Greece a particularly attractive country for immigration? Research seeking to answer this question focuses on the country's large informal economy and its segmentation into hundreds of small, oftentimes family run businesses that are in need of cheap labor [9]. Other factors include the seasonal nature of labor in many sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, construction and tourism; and the unwillingness of Greek citizens to man these labor intensive, unskilled, badly paid and low-status jobs.…”

“…Other studies, however, maintain that racist and discriminatory attitudes remain a persistent challenge for social integration for Albanian immigrants [9,13,21] and are routinely faced every day, including by Albanian children in Greek schools [22].…”

Empowerment or a double burden? Work, family, and agency among Albanian migrant women in Greece

“…The two main destinations for Albanian migrants have been Italy (47%) and Greece (43%) (INSTAT 2014). Although there is extensive research on Albanian migration (see King and Vullnetari 2011;Vaiou and Stratigaki 2008;Çaro 2016), most of these studies have focused mainly on internal migration (C¸aro, Bailey, and Van Wissen 2012; Vullnetari 2012), with a few examining gendered migration in Greece (Danaj 2019;Charalampopoulu 2012;Vullnetari and King 2016;Boeschoten 2015;Vullnetari 2012). The sense of agency of Albanian migrant women and the transformation of their gender roles in the context of international family migrationand particularly in the wake of the Greek economic crisis and the imposition of austerity measuresremain underexplored topics.…”

Negotiation of migratory and educational strategies of polish families in Athens

“…Since 1996 the Greek Parliament has passed many "sets of policies in order to better define the requirements for entry into the country" (Charalampopoulou, 2004, p. 83). Still, in 1997 approximately 700.000 immigrants lived and worked in Greece with about 90 per cent of them being irregular immigrants (Apostolatou, 2004, p. 3).…”