Migrant Breadwinning: Experiences of Eastern European Women in Portugal

Abstract

In my research I examine the situation of women from Eastern Europe who migrate alone to Portugal. Many had to leave behind their families and children. This Thesis explores the women's decisions for leaving their home countries, and looks at the experiences and challenges they face in Portugal. The impact of the women's often undocumented legal status and the precarious work conditions is explained. Central to the Thesis is the migrants' possibilities for agency and the meaning of migration for the women themselves. It is shown that the migrant women generally experience significant downward-mobility in social and professional terms; exploitation, discrimination, ethnicisation, racism, social and political exclusion are everyday experiences. The broader political and historical context of these women's migration is explored under the perspectives of globalisation, service industry and post-colonialism. Social and transnational networks play an important though ambiguous role in this type of migration: the borders between needed support and unwanted protectionism or control are often blurry. Hierarchical power structures emerge as a critical issue and often are gendered. In this context, the concept of social capital is examined, showing its negative sides for women migrating alone. Of main relevance appeared the women's ability to regularly send money home to their families. One important finding presented is the defining divide between migrant women who are acting as the main responsible breadwinners for their families and those who do not carry these responsibilities.