Breaking Biases: Deconstructing Myths on Immigrant Women in Switzerland

Immigrant women play a vital role in Switzerland, yet their narratives are often reduced to stereotypes such as, “looking for a husband” or “working as nannies.” In reality, immigrant women have contributed greatly to Swiss society. It seems therefore important to challenge misconceptions about immigrant women in Switzerland.

In the 1970s, immigrant women joined Swiss women in protesting for women’s suffrage. In 2020, immigrant women of color gathered at Bundesplatz to demand more humane treatment of asylum seekers, refugees, and undocumented people living in Switzerland. Given the marginalization and neglect of immigrant women in Switzerland, it seems important to address three common myths and deconstruct them, using Dumont and colleagues’ (2007) article “Women: The Neglected Gender Dimension on the Brain Drain.”

Myth 1: “Immigrants Are Predominantly Male”

According to OECD data (Dumont et al., 2007), which compiles the experience of 39 million immigrant women ages 15 and over in 28 Asian, European, and North American countries, there is gender parity among immigrants in OECD countries. In Switzerland, women represent a slight majority (52%) of the immigrant population, slightly higher than the OECD average (51%). This phenomenon is the result of a range of factors, including economic and educational reasons, which brings us to the next point.

Myth 2: “Male Immigrants Are More Qualified Than Female Immigrants”

This myth oversimplifies the experiences of immigrant women across countries and time periods. Moreover, immigration to OECD countries is highly selective due to strict laws. Nonetheless, immigrant women not only possess skills comparable to their male counterparts worldwide but, on average, even exceed them. In Switzerland, the gap between male and female immigrants with tertiary backgrounds has been decreasing, and both groups tend to have now similar qualifications.

In the past, there existed stark differences in tertiary education between immigrant men (23%) and women (16%) in the Alpine country. However, these differences are in part explained by immigration laws, such as articles 7 and 8 of the Swiss Federal Law on Foreign Nationals (OLE), which favored male-dominated fields like manual labor, and undervalued female-dominated fields like service work. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that the experiences of highly-skilled and low-skilled immigrant women can vary greatly, which we address in the next point.

Myth 3: “All Immigrant Women Are the Same”

Intersectionality helps us understand the different experiences of women based on their countries of origin, ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic classes. In Switzerland, foreign-born women come from various places. Europe, Italy, Portugal, and France are common countries of origin, while outside Europe, Turkey, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines are also frequent countries of origin.

The skills associated with different occupations also affect the type of employment available to immigrant women, and their relationship with their countries of origin. For instance, women in low-skilled occupations tend to send on average a higher share of their salary back home as remittances compared to women in high-skilled occupations.

On the other hand, immigrant women with tertiary education are more likely to move abroad than primary and secondary-educated women, to find better labor and educational opportunities. Therefore, immigrant women have diverse experiences and it would be inaccurate to simplify them into a single narrative.

Beyond Myths

By deconstructing these myths about immigrant women, we can recognize the complexity of immigration and the positive contributions these women have made to Swiss society. Reflecting on the underrepresentation of immigrant women’s voices, we should pay more attention to their statements. For instance, during the 2020 protest at Bundesplatz in Bern, immigrant women expressed the following: “Wir müssen gesehen und gehört werden…Die Schweiz soll wissen wie es uns geht.” (We need to be seen and heard. That’s why we protested… Switzerland should know how we are doing.)

To better meet the needs of immigrant women, Switzerland must understand their experiences across various aspects of life, such as at home and in the workplace. While Dumont and colleagues’ article (2007) provides valuable insights into immigrant women, future research should adopt a more inclusive and intersectional approach. This includes the voices of LBTQ+, disabled, and neuro-divergent women to foster a more inclusive host society, in line with the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goal 5 specifically calls for decent work, economic growth, and reduced inequalities for all women and girls.

Want to Learn More?

If this blog piqued your interest and you want to learn about other stereotypes surrounding immigrants in Switzerland, head over to the “Overcoming Preconceptions” section of the nccr  –  on the move website. It offers a wealth of videos and information on this topic that could be valuable to you.

Juan Carlos Hugues is a Psychology master’s student at the University of Lausanne. He was associated with a LIVES Seed project on “Migrant Adjustment Resilience, Vulnerability & Resource Processes (MARVR)” and currently investigates the resilience and vulnerability of expatriates in Switzerland under the supervision of Dr. Anouk Albien.

Dr. Anouk Jasmine Albien is a Marie Curie Fellow researching Skilled Migrant Adjustments to Career Transitions (SMACT : Grant Agreement number: 890967 — SMACT — H2020-MSCA-IF-2019/H2020-MSCA-IF-2019) and is an affiliated researcher with the NCCR on the move Research Centre. For more information on the SMACT project, take a look here. She is the principal investigator of a LIVES Seed project on “Migrant Adjustment Resilience, Vulnerability & Resource Processes (MARVR).”

References:

– Amnesty International
– Dumont, Jean-Christophe; Martin, John P.; Spielvogel, Gilles (2007). Women on the Move: The Neglected Gender Dimension of the Brain Drain, Institute for the Study of Labor Discussion Paper 2920, 1-24.
– Gafner, Magalie; Irène Schmidlin (2007). Le genre et la législation suisse en matière de migration, Nouvelles Questions Féministes, 2007/1 (Vol. 26), 16-37.
– Gender Campus
– Switzerland’s Federal Statistical Office
– Migrant Solidarity Network
– OECD Data
– United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
– The nccr  –  on the move