Every third-country national (TCN) in the Netherlands that does not have a work or study contract can be assisted by their local government in finding employment. According to research by Kennisplatform Integration and Society (KIS), municipalities unconsciously focus more on men when assisting newcomer TCNs into work, while women do not receive as much assistance as they need. A new e-learning module from KIS, 'Guiding female newcomers towards employment', helps professionals in municipalities to approach support in a more gender-sensitive way, by offering them the tools needed - with the help of various example situations and cases - to look beyond their own assumptions.

Why are there fewer women newcomers in the labour market?

Many municipalities in the Netherlands are indeed successful in their efforts to help newcomers find work, but on closer inspection it is clear that among these newcomers it is more often men who participate in the labour market. Women newcomers are less likely to find work, even if they have been living in the Netherlands for a long time.

Sometimes this is due to the situation at home: while guidance from the municipality starts as soon as possible after a newcomer has received their residence permit, some women prefer to focus on creating a stable home situation for the family first. Then, generally years later, they seek assistance for participation in the labour market. Furthermore, women newcomers often seek work in care or childcare that is beyond their qualifications in the short term. For these sectors in the Netherlands a diploma or a high language level is required, and these take time to secure.

The role of municipality professionals

Professionals assisting newcomers in municipalities may also be to blame for the low participation score. According to KIS project leader Joline Verloove, 'many customer managers automatically and often unconsciously focus on men. They have usually been in the Netherlands longer and therefore speak the language better. Therefore they can get a job sooner and stop depending on social assistance. Additionally, the idea that women are the primarily care takers reinforces the reluctance to assist female newcomers in finding a job'.

Fatima Merabet, advisor at the municipality of Amsterdam, said: 'for a few years now, we have consciously paid extra attention to female newcomers. Yet it is mainly men who go into the labour market, often because most of the programmes are aimed at male occupations, such as construction, metal and technology. There are not yet concrete links to [sectors that tend to have a higher number of female employees]', such as hairdressing and beautician industries'.

Access the module online here.