Seeking Employment as a Refugee Woman in the Netherlands: A Qualitative Study on the Role of Gender Norms and Expectations

Abstract

While existing studies on female refugees’ labour market integration often emphasise structural barriers, such as a lack of language skills or limited education, less attention has been paid to how social gender norms shape their agency and actual opportunities to work. This qualitative study, employing the Capability Approach (CA) as a theoretical framework, explores how gender norms and expectations, both from the countries of origin and the Netherlands, influence female refugees’ employment aspirations and actual opportunities within the Netherlands. Furthermore, their experiences with the Dutch Participation Act and inherent gender norms were examined, as previous research indicated that refugee employment support policies often reinforce gender norms and inequalities by primarily focusing on men. Eleven in-depth interviews were conducted with refugee women, both with and without residence permits, residing in the Netherlands and hailing from various countries, including Syria, Iraq, Ethiopia, Somalia, Pakistan, and Uganda. Findings reveal that conservative gender norms, especially those assigning women the role of primary caretakers, limit female refugees’ ability to seek or advance in employment, even when they come from supportive, less gender-conservative families. Female refugees often possess limited awareness that these gender norms serve as barriers to their employment. Additionally, findings reveal that Dutch gender norms are perceived as more progressive, enhancing women’s agency to seek employment. However, structural barriers, such as restrictive refugee employment policies, limited childcare, and legal uncertainties, continue to diminish their ability to work. Furthermore, findings indicate that the Dutch Participation Act primarily focuses on the men in the household, leaving women without adequate support once their partners secure employment. Therefore, it is recommended to adopt a more gender-sensitive, personally tailored approach in refugee support policies. Moreover, awareness-raising initiatives are necessary to challenge restrictive gender norms and promote meaningful economic integration for refugee women.