Women, Migration and Gendered Experiences: The Case of Post-1991 Albanian Migration [Paperback]

This open access book focuses on Albanian internal and international female migration and places gender at the heart of postsocialist transformation. It explores the vulnerabilities that arise for female citizens from the contradictory policies produced by the Albanian state. By illuminating the intersection of gender and migration, it shows how Albanian women are likely to embed themselves in complex social relations and migration trajectories. By focusing on various cases  internal, international, return, economic and student female migrants  the book underlines that migration does not follow any kind of evolutionary development, according to which women go from 'traditional to modern' gender relations. By providing a compelling account on the complex negotiations and tactics women employ to deal with gender inequalities, this book leads to a better understanding of gender and migration entanglements. It is a useful read to students, academics in migration and gender studies as well as social scientists and policy-makers in European countries.

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Theoretical Framework.- Chapter 3. Albanian Context.- Chapter 4. Returned, Yet Still Not Back: the Status Paradox of International Female Migrants Returning to Albania.- Chapter 5. Education as a Platform for Migration  Young Women Migrating to the Big City on Their Own.- Chapter 6. International Student ReturneesNowhere at Home.- Chapter 7. Conclusions.

Ermira Danaj, a feminist sociologist, holds a PhD in human and social sciences from the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. In spring 2013, she was a Fulbright visiting scholar in gender and sociology at the Transregional Centre for Democratic Studies, The New School in New York, USA. Currently she is a visiting researcher at the CIES-Iscte (Centre for Sociological Studies), ISCTE, Lisbon, Portugal. She also works as a gender expert with various international organisations.lƒv