Women and Expatriation

Female expatriates are becoming more and more prominent today, as traditional roles are shifting, and the world is changing, allowing for new ways to live and work. While their number is growing, they are not a monolithic entity, and women who choose to expatriate are working either for multinationals who send them on international assignments, or self-employed entrepreneurs. Also, they can be single, married, with or without children.

The expatriate population can be rather eclectic, especially as more unconventional lifestyles and working conditions have been emerging in the past decades, but it is possible to distinguish common situations and characteristics.

First of all, it is important to know that around 10% of the women who expatriate are in marriages where traditional roles and status are reversed, as they are the primary income earner of the household.

This is quite a meaningful point that shows how expatriation, while becoming more widespread, is still something of an unusual choice or option for women who follow a rather common path in life and work.

Besides this element, four categories can be used to define a female expatriate. The “refugee“, as the name suggests, simply wants or needs to get out of her home country, usually because of the prevailing social, political or economic situation, while the “explorer” is more interested in traveling for culture, discovery and adventure, and enjoys the prestige of her status abroad.

Selection criteria

The most crucial and common criterion used by companies selecting candidates for expatriation is technical competence.

The reason is simple: not only are technical skills the most obvious factor for success or failure, they are also the easiest to determine, since companies usually assess their employees as part of the application process.

Then, relational abilities are essential when it comes to a successful international experience, as they denote a capacity to communicate with and relate to locals in the host country, which constitutes a huge part of the expatriate experience.

Centered around psychological characteristics, they also include cultural awareness and emotional intelligence.

Another key criterion is the ability to adapt to new environments, especially in terms of corporate, legal, political, social and economic structures. Indeed, those could be extremely different from what the expatriate knows, and it’s important to understand them clearly.

An element than can be significant in certain countries and regions of the world if the ability to build strong bonds and establish lasting friendships with locals, as it is ultimately a way to constitute a network in the host country.

The drivers to expatriation

Similarly, to the causes and reasons, the motivations to relocate for work can be numerous and very personal. However, they usually fall into common categories.

The perspective of career advancement is a frequent motivation for women to take a chance abroad, when they may face a glass ceiling in their current position.

The opportunity to achieve a better financial situation is also a key driver to work in another country, where economic conditions are better.

On a more personal note, yearning for independence is a strong factor, as many women feel they are not free to live and work as they please.

Also, self-fulfillment is something they aspire to, and they may consider it is easier to reach their full potential outside of their home country.

Social status is another key driver for expatriation, since this kind of experience is usually seen as a way to be part of higher circles.

Barriers to Gender Parity in the Global Workforce

As is, there is a significant gender disparity throughout the expatriate workforce as a whole. On a global scale, only 14% of employees currently on international assignment are women. Of course, this statistic varies by industry and region, but from a high-level, it’s remains painfully obvious that even in the most mature markets, parity is nowhere close to where it needs to be.

• A lack of women considered “qualified” in a company’s succession pipeline (that is, females who have enough of the right experience to supposedly take on an international assignment).
• Unconscious bias during the selection process (such as misguided assumptions about a woman’s suitability for international relocation in certain areas or willingness to take them on).
• A lack of visible assignment opportunities for women (the jobs are there but might not be seen/made visible to women).
• A lack of practical support or flexible working arrangements in regards to managing multiple careers, family issues, or some other factor that might impede their ability to work on assignment.
• A lack of women volunteering for expat positions (whether due to a lack of organizational role models, lack of appropriate company incentives to move, or any number of other reasons).