The value of women migrants
Greek households pay at least 50 million euros a month to women migrants who cook, clean and look after children and the elderly, a new group set up to support migrants said yesterday. The Network for Strengthening and Supporting Migrants (DES Me), which is made up of experts and various organizations already active in the field, made its first public appearance yesterday and sought to highlight the significant role played by women from abroad in daily life in Greece. DES Me said that it arrived at its figure by taking the average pre-tax wage for a home helper, which is estimated to be 625 euros per month. This figure was then multiplied by the most conservative estimate available for the number of foreign women working as domestic staff in Greece, which is 80,000. However, other estimates put this number closer to 200,000. It is thought that the number of foreign women working in Greek homes has doubled since 2001. DES Me highlighted the fact that many of these women work uninsured and have no job security. «I worked at one home for 11 years but when the old man I was looking after died, I found myself on the street with a 1,250-euro compensation payment but no social security credits, no employment benefit, nothing,» said Loretta Makoli of the Union of African Women. Earlier this year, a study by the Research Center for Gender Equality (KETHI) concluded that female immigrants make a significant contribution to the Greek economy and society but their integration in the community is fraught with obstacles. Of some 500,000 female immigrants in Greece, most work as babysitters, cleaners or housekeepers, even though 25 percent are educated to degree level, the KETHI study found. The largest group of female migrants (67 percent) is from Albania, with 16.5 percent hailing from the former Soviet Union, 11.3 percent from Balkan states and 5.1 percent from Poland and the Philippines, according to the study.
