Nordic Network for empowerment of immigrant

women without prior education experience

Feedback on questionnaire results

in Lithuania

Women migrants in Lithuania

“Women migrants in Lithuania - it is a very interesting topic. It would be very interesting to know how women of different nationalities, different ages, living in Lithuania, manage to adapt to our culture, a new social environment, how they look at locals, the Lithuanian men, social policy, education, science, culture. If their family life happy, or if mixed-ethnicity children feel well in Lithuania, whether they are able to adapt painlessly two languages, two cultures, and two outlooks.

There are two options of answers to these questions: in Lithuania women migrants are happy, free, educated, occupy a significant position in a society. They re-discover themselves, re-create their own identity. Or they are going through psychological trauma, suffering, because they had to leave their native country, face social, cultural adaptation difficulties. They can be nervous or apathetic, or indifferent to the ethnic community activities. These contrasting modes of migrant women are described by researchers.

Women migrants in Lithuania

Women migrants living in a new country should not be confined to marital happiness, successful career, or to family problems and public failures. In order for women migrants to learn to protect their personal coherent inner life, their family, and children from social problems they should be themselves, to know what human rights and fundamental freedom, equal opportunities policy is, what are the laws of the country to ensure that they and their children are safe in the new society. Participation of women migrants in the activities of the ethnic communities is not only the preservation of their traditional lifestyles and self expression, but also personality formation, education opportunities”.

M.A.Pavilionienė, Member of Parliament of Lithuania and President of Business

Women Organization of Lithuanian Ethic Groups

Some general statistics about the migration situation in LT

Country of origin

Women migrants

Women immigrants by age group, 2009

13%

2%

3%

11%

22%16%

9%

6%

5%

4%

3% 5% 1%

0-14

15-17

18-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-79

80+

Women migrants by country of birth

Women immigrants by country of birth, 2009

3%2%13%

5%

4%

26%1%

32%

11%

3%

0%

Ireland

Spain

UK

Latvia

Poland

Belarus

Moldova

Russian Federation

Ukraine

Kazakhstan

Turkey

Women migrants by marital status

Women immigrants by marital status, 2009

33%

50%

14%3%

Single (never married)

Married

Divorced

Widowed

Asylum seekers in 2009

Organizations contacted

Business Women Organization of Lithuanian Ethnic Groups

The House of National Communities Labor Exchange International Migration Organization Vilnius Office

Questionnaire results

Nationalities:

Belorussians

Turks

Hungarian

Uzbekian

Romanian

Age

Turks: age range from 22 to 33 Byelorussians: age range from 39 to 60 Hungarians: age range from 26 to 50 Romanians: age range from 30 to 60 Uzbeks: age range from 50 to 63

Marital status

13%

27%

60%

married

divorced

single

Years living in the host country

4 years -Turks 13 -23 years -Byelorussians, Romanians and Uzbeks,

Hungarians 6 months - Hungarians

Language levels (basic, intermediate, advanced - spoken, written, comprehensive

Lithuanian language level

Turks: basic words

Byelorussians:

basic written, basic/intermediate spoken,

advanced comprehensive

Romanians:

advanced written, spoken, comprehensive

Hungarians:

a) basic written, spoken, comprehensive

b) advanced written, spoken/comprehensive

Work experience

Education

What skills do you have ? How many years?-

Do you feel a need for further education? If not, may we ask why not?

Yes - 60% No- 30% (I haven’t got enough money; have no time, too old to study)

If you don’t wish to study, what would you like to do instead?

33%- we wish to study

Work

If however, you do wish to work , but are not currently, what is stopping you?

13%- I wish to work but I have no experience and I don’t know the language

7%- I can’t find a job If you do not wish to work, what would you like to do

instead?

20% - I would help my children

13% - I would learn languages

Networks

Do you have social networks within your own community?100%- yes

Do you have social networks within multi immigrant communities involving other communities than your own?

50% -yes Do you have social networks within the Lithuanian

community?80 % - yes

Do you know how to find information about further education and classes?60% - yes

Do you know where to turn to get a job and whom to contact?55%- yes

What in your opinion would help you to get further education and/or to get a job

- Embassy of my country - my community

Which authority is responsible for immigrants arriving in the host country?

25 % - I don’t know

50%- Migration department Which authority is responsible for refugees arriving in the

host country?

25%- I don’t know

35 %- Foreigners registration centre

What are the existing processes/laws for integration of immigrants?

25% - I don’t know Which authority is responsible for employment when

immigrants arrive in the host country?

25%- I don’t know

Thank you