Lebanese women graduates are migrating to the Gulf in search for better opportunities and to avoid discrimination || Newspapers (Arabic)

Al Akhbar newspaper published an article on the migration of Lebanese women graduates to Gulf countries in search for jobs and to improve their financial situation, stating that women graduates also migrate to avoid gender discrimination in wages.  According to Shoghik Kasparian, the research expert in social sciences and statistics, migration is not only a women-specific phenomenon but is rather related to broader societal trends and advances which have facilitated the process.  She further notes that when migration started decades ago, women had not yet started to fully enjoy their social and educational rights.  Since this has considerably changed to date with the advances made in women and girls’ education, women are now able to consider migrating to pursue work opportunities.
Kasparian distinguishes between three kinds of women migration.  The first type is the most predominant and accounts for 55% of women migrating to marry or to follow a spouse.  The second type is more of a temporary nature where women migrate to complete their studies mostly to European or Northern American countries.  The last is the longer term where women migrate looking for jobs and in order to improve their financial situation.  According to Kasparian, this type of migration involves newly graduating women who tend to leave mainly to Gulf countries pursuing work (27.7%), Northern America (13%) and Europe (49.8%). The two last figures include those who migrate to work as well as to pursue their education.

Source: Al-Akhbar 3 May 2013