The Lived Experiences of Highly Skilled Nigerian Migrant Women Living in Italy - Abstract - Migration, gender, and integration through hermeneutic phenomenological study

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

Migration is a deeply gendered global phenomenon in which women migrants face vulnerabilities shaped by intersecting forms of marginalization. Research has often focused on low-skilled migrants, leaving the experiences of highly skilled Nigerian women in Italy largely unexamined in both policy and scholarship. Using hermeneutic phenomenology and frameworks including Community Cultural Wealth and Social Identity Theory, the study analyzes how race, gender, migration, and education shape integration, opportunity access, and identity reconstruction after migration.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Migration as a gendered global issue

Voluntary vs. involuntary migration

Highly skilled migrant women and research gaps

Defining “highly skilled” in the study

The Lived Experiences of Highly Skilled Nigerian Migrant Women Living in Italy Cheri L. Hatcher1 Táíwò Isaac Ọlátúnjí2 ABSTRACT: Migration is a deeply gendered and complex global phenomenon, and women migrants face unique vulnerabilities that are shaped by inequalities and intersecting forms of marginalization. While much research has centered on low‐skilled migrant women, the experiences of highly skilled migrant women, particularly from the Global South, have been largely overlooked in both policy and academic discourse. This hermeneutic phenomenological study oﬀers insight into the lived experiences of highly skilled Nigerian migrant women residing in Italy. Drawing on Community Cultural Wealth and Social Identity Theory, the study examines how the intersections of race, gender, migration, and education shape the participants’ integration and access to opportunities. Findings suggest a disconnect between the participants’prior professional identities and their post‐migration realities. Through semi‐structured, in‐ depth interviews, this study reveals how these women navigate institutional barriers, challenge deﬁcit narratives about migration, and make sense of their professional and personal identities within a transnational context. By centering the voices of highly skilled Nigerian migrant women, this research creates an intersectional and human‐ centered understanding of the experiences of highly skilled migrants, calling for more inclusive frameworks that recognize non‐Western knowledge and support better reintegration in host countries. This study oﬀers critical insights for adult educators, labor integration programs, and migration policy in Europe and beyond. Introduction Migration is a complex, nuanced, and gendered global issue. While male migrants have traditionally driven migration, women are disproportionately aﬀected due to prevailing gender inequalities, heightened vulnerability, and constrained social positioning (Carling & Collins, 2018) . Gender serves as a critical lens through which the causes and consequences of migration can be understood, with women frequently assuming a central role in migration decision‐making processes (Blau et al., 2011; Coulombe & Nadeau, 2014) . 1 Doctoral Student, Texas State University; [chatcher@txstate.edu](chatcher@txstate.edu) 2Post‐doctoral Researcher, University of Padua; [taiwoisaac.olatunji@phd.unipd.it](taiwoisaac.olatunji@phd.unipd.it) Page 80 • AAACE Commission for International Adult Education Gender inequality and disadvantaged social status in countries of origin often necessitate migration for women, who may seek relocation to societies that appear more gender‐forward, where women’s economic, political, and social aspirations appear more attainable (Castles et al., 2014; de Leon Siantz, 2013) . However, such motivations are inherently shaped by subjective experiences, as gender inequality remains pervasive globally. In many cases, women may exchange one form of discrimination for another, which they perceive as more navigable or less restrictive. Of course, migration outcomes for women vary greatly depending on the circumstances of their migration. For example, people migrate for a myriad of push factors, or involuntarily. Others migrate for pull reasons, or voluntarily. The pull factors inﬂuencing their decision to migrate may include higher wages, political stability, or better healthcare (Boucher, 2017) . In contrast, involuntary migration—also known as forced migration—occurs when individuals are compelled to move due to push factors beyond their control (Sagor & Aktar, 2023). These include conﬂict, persecution, natural disasters, environmental degradation, and human rights violations. However, many migrants experience a continuum of voluntariness, where structural constraints and migration involve complex decision‐making processes that are likely inﬂuenced by intersecting factors, such as poverty, gender inequality, or climate v

FAQs

What is the main focus of the study?

The study examines the lived experiences of highly skilled Nigerian migrant women residing in Italy, emphasizing how race, gender, migration, and education shape integration and identity.

Why does the document argue that women’s experiences are overlooked?

It notes that research has largely centered on low-skilled migrants and that the trajectories of highly skilled women are shaped by gendered assumptions that differ from those of lower-skilled migrants.

How does the study define “highly skilled” in this context?

“Highly skilled” refers to migrant women with advanced skills, training, or education obtained through formal or non-formal means that qualify them as individuals with specialized expertise in demand in the labor market.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle