Gender disparity in Swedish Migration : Opportunities for women in Swedish migration

Abstract: Gender discrimination is a world-wide matter, it is the consequence of the type of violence that is built into structures and effectively deprives women from basic liberties and opportunities (Baliamoune-Lutz, 2013:01-02: Galtung, 2015:181). As many women cannot stay in their countries because of ongoing conflicts, poverty, persecution and their position in the society, -exactly the same reasons prevent them from leaving. At the time that poverty and conflicts have driven a massive increase in global migration, it has become a most urgent topic in question (IMR, 2017:04). The prolonged gender discrepancy by granted residence permits has been a social phenomenon lacking national recognition in Sweden. This study reveals how large the gender discrepancy in Swedish migration is and how the opportunities for women are developing. A more detailed review of women’s opportunities by categories of residence permits between 2009 and 2017 reveals the deficiencies on gender disparity in Swedish migration and acknowledges the main causes. It is suggested by this study that the measured and identified indifferences are translated into women’s needs and provided with structural interventions to improve the currently existing conditions of the opportunities for women in Swedish migration. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the importance of gender disparity by the opportunities for women in Swedish migration. The empirical research investigates women’s opportunities and development on obtained residence permits between the years 2009 and 2017. Method: This study is of inductive methodology using a grounded theory. The systematic collection of data and discovered patterns have been linked to theories of gender discrimination. Data: The used method is a cross-sectional study of more than one case with the interest of variation by the usage of quantifiable data and variables; the material is collected from the Swedish migration agency and sorted into 1,052,654 cases by gender, category of residence permits and year. Result: The result of this statistical research showed that Women are less likely to have a residence permit by all categories but one in Sweden. Over the past nine years women have been underrepresented by granted residence permits by each year and in total with 44.8% and the share is continuing to decrease. The study also revealed that the vast majority of migrants originated from developing and least developing countries where women are exposed to a considerably higher degree of gender discrimination. The gender discrepancy by obtained residence permits in Sweden is somewhat similar to the emigration in developing and least developing countries. As women outnumber men by 51.5% of the total immigration stock in industrial countries, in developing and least developing countries, women make up for only 45.6% of the total immigration stock. Gender discrimination is presumably the contributing factor to the gender discrepancy in Swedish migration. It is suggested by this study to implement structural interventions by increasing the share of the category family reunification in order to obtain an equal distribution of women and men by obtained residence permits.