Exploratory Research on Married Immigrant Women's Participation in the Official Development Assistance Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the possibility of recruiting married immigrant women to participate in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) program. We used focus group interviews to understand their experiences with ODA, their intent to participate in the ODA, and the resources and barriers to ODA participation. The data were collected from 14 married immigrant women who were actively engaged in the labor force in Seoul and Gyunggi areas. Data were analyzed based on the thematic analysis method. Four themes were identified including the women's experiences, motivation, barriers, and resources for ODA participation. Out of the 14 women, three had participated in the ODA and were happy with the experiences.The rest of the women wanted to participate in the ODA that supported their home countries. The results also highlighted that these married immigrant women had capabilities including a strong desire to participate in vocational development and support from their families, but they also had barriers to overcome such as a lack of work capacity, child care burden, and difficulty forming relationships with Korean colleagues. Despite these barriers, they were motivated to participate in the ODA since it would be very meaningful for them to help their home country and to improve awareness of Korea and married immigrant women. It is important to develop vocational education programs for these women to enhance the work skills that are needed in the ODA.