Women’s economic activity in the migration areas of the Opole Voivodeship

One of the factors that has impacted on people’s economic activity is the migration process. Opole province, as a region with a long migration tradition, is characterized by low economic activity of women. In areas which have a high rate of male emigration, the unemployment of women has been extremely high. One of the reasons is a small share of unemployed men in the generally high rate of unemployment in these places. On the other hand the high level of unemployed women is caused by the deliberate maintenance of this status which has guaranteed, amongst other things, unlimited access to medical services. An increase in the migration of women for commercial purposes at the beginning of the 21st century has been a response to the demand for women in the workforce in the care sector like taking care of elderly people. This has been the reason for the change in women’s economic activity. The purpose of the article is to show the economic activity of women living in migratory areas of the Opole province who take up temporary and permanent employment in European countries, especially in Germany and the Netherlands.

 

Key words: economic activity, women’s migrations, women’s unemployment

 

Streszczenie

Jednym z czynników wpływających na aktywność zawodową ludności są procesy migracyjne. Województwo opolskie jako region o długich tradycjach migracyjnych od lat charakteryzował się niską aktywnością zawodową kobiet. Na obszarach objętych intensywnymi migracjami zarobkowymi mężczyzn, bezrobocie kobiet było bardzo wysokie. Wynikało ono z jednej strony z niskiego udziału mężczyzn wśród ogółu bezrobotnych, a z drugiej – z celowego utrzymywania statusu osoby bezrobotnej przez kobiety, który gwarantował m.in. dostęp do świadczeń zdrowotnych. Wzmożone wyjazdy w celach zarobkowych kobiet na początku XXI w. były odpowiedzią na wzrost zapotrzebowania na kobiecą siłę roboczą w tzw. sektorze usług rodzinnych, a tym samym nastąpiła zmiana ich aktywności zawodowej. Celem artykułu jest przestawienie charakteru aktywności zawodowej kobiet, mieszkających na obszarach migracyjnych województwa opolskiego, które podejmują zatrudnienie stałe i okresowe w krajach europejskich − głównie w Niemczech i Holandii.

One of the factors that has impacted on people’s economic activity is the migration process. Opole province, as a region with a long migration tradition, is characterized by low economic activity of women. In areas which have a high rate of male emigration, the unemployment of women has been extremely high. One of the reasons is a small share of unemployed men in the generally high rate of unemployment in these places. On the other hand the high level of unemployed women is caused by the deliberate maintenance of this status which has guaranteed, amongst other things, unlimited access to medical services. An increase in the migration of women for commercial purposes at the beginning of the 21st century has been a response to the demand for women in the workforce in the care sector like taking care of elderly people. This has been the reason for the change in women’s economic activity. The purpose of the article is to show the economic activity of women living in migratory areas of the Opole province who take up temporary and permanent employment in European countries, especially in Germany and the Netherlands.