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Women and migration in Albania: a view from the village

Women and migration in Albania: a view from the village
Women and migration in Albania: a view from the village
Since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, Albania has experienced migrations of epic proportions: 17 years later almost one in four Albanians has emigrated and lives abroad, primarily in Greece and Italy. Albanian emigration has by and large represented a typically male-dominated model, whereby men have “led the way” and women have followed as family members. Despite the considerable participation of Albanian women in this migration, their roles and experiences remain under-researched. Based on in-depth interviews with rural migrant women and their families, as well as additional ethnographic material collected from 2004 to 2006 in Albania and Greece, this paper aims to fill this knowledge gap. The findings demonstrate the various ways in which Albanian rural women participate in the migratory process. They are often the most important pillar for supporting the family migration strategy through their productive and reproductive labour when remaining behind. They are also closely involved in decision-making about the migration of other family members. Furthermore, they have been among the pioneers of the early 1990s migration themselves, including taking the long and risky journeys across the mountains to Greece. Overall, their contribution to the migrant household is beyond their presumed reproductive role and includes a strong economic component.

While some “traditional” norms and values persist and are reinforced during migration, change does take place, albeit at a slow and gradual pace. However, for the emancipatory benefits women could accrue through migration to be enhanced, immigration policies need adjusting to address their position as fully autonomous economic and social actors, thus reducing their dependency on male “bread-winners.”

Albanian women’s particular migratory experiences, combined with their increasing numbers as migrants, make a compelling case for further attention from researchers and policymakers.
Albania, migration, post-communist women, gender
0020-7985
169-188
Vullnetari, Julie
463db806-c809-43d6-9795-1104e3a5788b
Vullnetari, Julie
463db806-c809-43d6-9795-1104e3a5788b

Vullnetari, Julie (2012) Women and migration in Albania: a view from the village. International Migration, 50 (5), 169-188. (doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2009.00569.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Since the fall of communism in the early 1990s, Albania has experienced migrations of epic proportions: 17 years later almost one in four Albanians has emigrated and lives abroad, primarily in Greece and Italy. Albanian emigration has by and large represented a typically male-dominated model, whereby men have “led the way” and women have followed as family members. Despite the considerable participation of Albanian women in this migration, their roles and experiences remain under-researched. Based on in-depth interviews with rural migrant women and their families, as well as additional ethnographic material collected from 2004 to 2006 in Albania and Greece, this paper aims to fill this knowledge gap. The findings demonstrate the various ways in which Albanian rural women participate in the migratory process. They are often the most important pillar for supporting the family migration strategy through their productive and reproductive labour when remaining behind. They are also closely involved in decision-making about the migration of other family members. Furthermore, they have been among the pioneers of the early 1990s migration themselves, including taking the long and risky journeys across the mountains to Greece. Overall, their contribution to the migrant household is beyond their presumed reproductive role and includes a strong economic component.

While some “traditional” norms and values persist and are reinforced during migration, change does take place, albeit at a slow and gradual pace. However, for the emancipatory benefits women could accrue through migration to be enhanced, immigration policies need adjusting to address their position as fully autonomous economic and social actors, thus reducing their dependency on male “bread-winners.”

Albanian women’s particular migratory experiences, combined with their increasing numbers as migrants, make a compelling case for further attention from researchers and policymakers.

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Vullnetari (2012) Women migration AL rural views_AM-Sep08.pdf - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Accepted/In Press date: 8 September 2008
e-pub ahead of print date: 29 September 2009
Published date: 29 March 2012
Keywords: Albania, migration, post-communist women, gender
Organisations: Economy, Governance & Culture

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 377066
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/377066
ISSN: 0020-7985
PURE UUID: c2ea7665-4525-4d12-9b6c-8fa881893f7d
ORCID for Julie Vullnetari: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1578-8622

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Date deposited: 14 May 2015 11:31
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:50

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