“No income of my own”– paths towards integration for women who live as family‐supported individuals in Denmark

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to present new research on family-supported immigrant women. Throughout the period 1994-2005, around 11 percent of immigrant women aged 25-66 from non-Western countries in Denmark were family-supported.Design/methodology/approach -The study applies a mixed methods approach integrating register-based quantitative analysis with qualitative analysis of interview material.Findings -The paper finds that family-supported immigrant women in Denmark can roughly be divided into two sub-groups. One group of women from the former Eastern bloc who have arrived recently, who have a relatively high-level of education and who often have a Danish husband; and another group of women from more typical ''guest worker'' countries, who have a lower level of education and who often have a husband with the same ethnic origin. A second finding is that for some women, being family-supported is a permanent rather that a temporary state. Third, the paper finds that family-supported women have a variety of motivating factors pulling them towards a working life, but they experience barriers for employment and education such as non-recognition of qualifications obtained outside of Denmark and a high demand for Danish linguistic skills.Practical implications -The practical implications of the research are numerous. One implication is that qualifications depreciate when not used. Being fixed in a job where one's skills are not utilized violates future employment opportunities. The marginal position of these women on the labor market makes them vulnerable, not least in times of recession.Originality/value -Little research has previously been done about this group of women, even though the size of the group is not negligible.