26.04.2024
Around 40 decision-makers from politics, administration, business, science, chambers of commerce, and associations met for the presentation of the ZGF initiative "Diversity First! Women | Migration | Work" . The initiative aims to create a broad alliance and network to enable women with migration and refugee backgrounds in the state of Bremen to find secure employment more quickly and sustainably.
In his presentation, Joachim Ossmann, Managing Director of the Bremen-Bremerhaven Employment Agency, gave an overview of the labor market situation for foreign women living in the state of Bremen. Karin Treu, State Councillor for Labor at the Senator for Labor, Nadezhda Milanova, the State Commissioner for Migration and Integration in Bremen, Cornelius Neumann-Redlin, Managing Director of the Bremen Employers' Associations, and Wiebke Müller, Deputy Managing Director of the Bremen Job Center, summarized their most important proposed solutions and areas for action in brief speeches
Low employment rate among women with a migration background
Nearly 40 percent of people living in the state of Bremen have a migration background, and around half of them are women. Work is a crucial factor for their integration and an essential prerequisite for their participation in society. The employment rate for women with a migration background in Bremen is particularly low, at approximately 53 percent. "Clearly, the current structures and services are only partially effective and are not reaching women sufficiently. We therefore need to join forces. To achieve this, the ZGF (Center for Gender Equality) is launching its 'Diversity First!' initiative," explains Bettina Wilhelm, Bremen's State Commissioner for Women.
The "Diversity First!" initiative sees the development and implementation of quality criteria as an important measure to improve the labor market integration of women with refugee and migrant backgrounds. This will make the success of the programs measurable. Joachim Ossmann commented on this topic at the event as follows: "Evaluating the success of the programs and initiatives is crucial. It's not about the number of participants, but rather about how many people we are able to get into employment."
Reconciling family and career
A recurring theme throughout the event's speeches was the need for childcare and part-time work opportunities for women with a migration background. These are two prerequisites for enabling many of them to participate in language courses or training programs. These programs, in turn, are essential for many of these women to secure long-term employment that provides for their livelihood.
State Councillor Karin Treu says: “Reconciling family and career is a hurdle for many women with a migration background. Reliable, full-day childcare options are crucial in this regard. We must also show girls and young women pathways to well-paid jobs, for example, in so-called male-dominated professions. Our goal must be to ensure that as many women as possible have secure employment.”
Tailor-made offers and seamless integration of offers
In her speech, the state women's representative also emphasized the need for tailored programs that address the diverse needs of women with a migration background. "These women have different skills, experiences, family backgrounds, come from many different countries, are newcomers, or have lived in Bremen for a long time. We must consider all of this," Bettina Wilhelm asserted.
Wiebke Müller from the Bremen Job Center confirms: “Women with a migration background receiving citizen's benefits are very diverse. Therefore, they also need services that are specifically tailored to them. In addition, the measures and services must be interlinked and coordinated within the existing structures: from counseling services and language courses to activation and qualification measures.”
The KfW-ifo Skilled Workforce Barometer from 2023 indicates that 42 percent of all companies in Germany are now affected by a shortage of skilled workers. Cornelius Neumann-Redlin from the Bremen Business Association can confirm this from his own experience: "Companies are lacking skilled workers and the workforce, and the situation will worsen in the coming years. This situation offers increasing employment opportunities, especially for women with a migration background. This is also confirmed by the figures for the state of Bremen, which show a significant increase in the employment of women with a migration background."
Ossmann also sees positive signs: “We should always look at both sides of the coin. On the one hand, there is a high unemployment rate among foreign women in the state of Bremen, but on the other hand, there has also been a significant increase in their employment over the past eight years, particularly in the health and social services sector.”
Integration is a cross-cutting task
The ZGF is delighted that so many decision-makers from diverse fields came together for the event and is pleased with the high regard for the topic. As Nadezhda Milanova explains: “We must view all policy areas through the lens of integration and interlink them accordingly: whether economic, educational, social, or women's policy, they all must consider migration and integration and understand them as interconnected areas of responsibility. Only in this way can we truly achieve social participation and equal opportunities.”
Information on the ZGF initiative “Diversity first! Women | Migration | Work”
Source: Press Office of the Senate of the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen, Bremen Central Office for the Realization of Gender Equality (ZGF), Press Release, April 25, 2024