Highly skilled, yet invisible. The potential of migrant women with a STEMM background in Italy between intersectional barriers and resources

Abstract

Despite increasing numbers of vacancies for highly skilled jobs in innovative sectors of the economy, highly skilled migrants are often discriminated against despite their qualifications. This discrimination represents a relevant issue, especially for women with a background in male‐dominated and highly regulated fields, such as science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM). We draw on qualitative data collected in Northern Italy from in‐depth interviews and focus groups with women from different countries and STEMM qualifications. Adopting an intersectionality approach, we illuminate the macro‐, organizational‐, and individual‐level barriers that prevent highly skilled migrant women from finding a job that measures up to their qualification level and sector, and we highlight the resources available to them to overcome these barriers. By emphasizing the intersectional ties of being a woman, a migrant, and a STEMM professional, we identify relevant areas for policy intervention to valorize migration in support of innovation and labor outcomes in Italy and in other countries.

“Whether you like my skin or not, I am here”: skilled racial minority migrant women's experiences of navigating career challenges in the White Icelandic labor market

“…SRMM women are disadvantaged in building social and economic capital (Mohyuddin et al. , 2022) and face an intersection of barriers stemming from prejudice in the workplace (Bolzani et al. , 2021), manifesting in microaggressions, everyday sexism and everyday racism.…”

“…SRMM women are disadvantaged in building social and economic capital (Mohyuddin et al, 2022) and face an intersection of barriers stemming from prejudice in the workplace (Bolzani et al, 2021), manifesting in microaggressions, everyday sexism and everyday racism. Skilled Muslim and ethnic minority migrant women face additional prejudice and challenges in fitting in Kristinsson and Sigurðard ottir (2019) and Tariq and Syed (2018), and indirect, subtle and covert forms of discrimination stemming from intersections of gender, race, ethnicity and religion have become more prevalent (Syed and Pio, 2010).…”

A level playing field for migrant entrepreneurs? The legal and policy landscape across EU and OECD countries

“…Importantly, however, these characteristics might not only affect the agency side of the equation, but also the structural side. Specifically, different institutional/policy frameworks may be available depending on migrant characteristics and skills (Bolzani, Crivellaro & Grimaldi, 2021; Elo, Täube, & Servais, 2021). This creates an asymmetry in the opportunities that are available for different categories of migrant entrepreneurs, which may penalize certain sub‐groups of migrants.…”

“…Migrants and migrant entrepreneurs are often treated as a rather homogeneous group, although the literature shows that they are a rather heterogeneous group (Cortes, 2004; Freiling & Harima, 2019; Kubiciel‐Lodzińska & Maj, 2021). Different kinds of migrant and migrant entrepreneurs face different challenges and, therefore, they need different support measures (Bolzani, Crivellaro & Grimaldi, 2021; Sinkovics & Reuber, 2021; UNCTAD, 2018). The mixed embeddedness approach stresses that the opportunity structure has a different effect on the business, based on migrants’ individual profiles and skills.…”

“…BIPs tend to face additional barriers related to their status such as health issues and lack of documentation (OECD, 2019; Wauters & Lambrecht, 2008). The latter encounter additional challenges because of being both migrants and women (Bolzani, Crivellaro & Grimaldi, 2021). This double disadvantage is consistently confirmed by research (EWSI, 2018).…”