This is a guest post by Lucy James, a research fellow at Quilliam
****
South Asian Muslim women are the most economically disadvantaged group in terms of religion, ethnicity and gender in the UK today. A recent poll of unemployed South Asian Muslim women showed that not only are they disadvantaged, but that they are misunderstood and not being given sufficient support in order to break a cycle that, given the chance, will transmit similar attitudes on to future generations. The poll— published in Quilliam’s latest report Immigrant, Muslim, Female: Triple Paralysis [pdf]— established what these Muslim women want: they want to work. Over 600 women were interviewed, 57% of which said that they wanted a paid job. This figure is really positive. Although 39% said that they didn’t want to work, many of these women may have said so because of a lack of confidence rather than as a downright refusal to work.
The women interviewed in this survey were overwhelmingly (84%) not born in this country, i.e. they were immigrants to the UK. Contrary to expectation, perhaps, the numbers of immigrant women arriving from the subcontinent is unlikely to die out over the generations. A 2008 study by Dale and Ahmed [pdf] of transnational marriages between 1998 and 2005 revealed that 40% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi men living in this country married women from abroad. Together with the high rates of immigration from the subcontinent as a whole (in 2006/7, South Asians accounted for the highest rates of applications for settlement visas), the issues surrounding first generation immigrants are going to be ones that are perpetuated down the generations. These women have to stop being sidelined within South Asian/ Muslim communities; they have to be specifically recognised and targeted in government policy.
Not one respondent said that Islam was behind their reason for remaining without work. Only 2% said that it was to do with izzat (a South Asian cultural notion of honour). Instead, 65% of the respondents gave practical reasons as the inhibitors to gaining employment. The most popular of these was their domestic responsibilities—particularly looking after children—at 49%. The second highest was insufficient language skills at 20%. However, just because religion and culture were not articulated to be of concern, is not to say that they do not have direct repercussions on the employment status of these women. That 49% said that domestic responsibilities were holding them back, for example, can only be testimony to the strong patriarchal nature of traditional South Asian culture. Given the right practical support, this report believes that these women will build their confidence and determination, as well as gain the requisite practical ability, to be able to stand up to the traditional expectations of some conservative elements in their communities.
Providing sufficient childcare (in terms of these women, this is particularly providing sufficient access to and awareness of available childcare), as well as supplying enough English language courses (which are also sensitive to cultural requirements and levels of ability), are provisions which fall primarily within the government’s remit. At the moment, the government is failing these women. The most blatant example of this is the ‘redirecting’ of English language (ESOL) class funding towards priority learners which has, in turn, led to drastic funding cuts for beginners’ classes (those most needed by immigrants) in East London. Blame cannot just be ascribed to the government, however. It also lies with Muslim communities themselves. As evidenced in Quilliam’s Mosques Made in Britain [pdf] report, women have limited access to the religious and lay leadership in mosques to shape debates about a woman’s role in family and community life. This inclination towards patriarchal culture is also all too frequently reflected in the communities at large as well. One in four of our respondents said that they needed more support from their family to work. Whether this meant practical or emotional support was unclear, but anecdotal evidence in the report highlighted that in some instances these women are not encouraged to work by their families for fear of disrupting the domestic balance in the home.
The majority of immigrant South Asian Muslim women without a job want to work. Reasons for this varied—perhaps somewhat expectedly the majority (43%) said it was to financially support their family. Encouragingly, 30% of respondents said that they wanted to work so that they could be more independent. These statistics are very positive and go a considerable way towards undermining the far-right stereotype of these women as ‘lazy immigrants’ who aren’t working because they are held under lock and key by their family, their culture and their religion. The majority of these women suffer from a major lack of confidence in their ability to be able to enter the job market. What they require is a nudge in the right direction— from Government, from communities, from their families. These women will then be able to give back to their families and communities: both financially in terms of earnings, and as role models and ambassadors for their communities in the struggle against all forms of extremism. The government have already realised the potential of Muslim women in the fight against extremism; it is now time they directly addressed this sidelined group.
These women can and should reach their potential; they just need to be given the practical support in order to do so. As South Asian immigrants they are a ‘hard-to-reach’ group that are often overlooked; as mothers, wives and daughters-in-law they have a lot of responsibilities; but as women they are also individuals in their own right who deserve to be able to achieve.
10 Comments
They should have enquired about the age of the children for mothers who don’t work. Also I think religion does play a role. Why are hindu and Sikh women in the work place?
Two failings I have spotted anyway.
Abu Wanabe, I don’t see any mention of hindu and sikh women in the original post. Where are you getting this data, out of interest.
It may due to religion, but then you get into theological discussions about whether Islam per se forbids women from working, the short answer to which is that it does not.
It’s probably much more likely that it is do with men! And severely inflexible and patriarchical currents in their culture.
I think it would be interesting to cross the results of a study such as this with the findings that divorce rates amongst south asian couples (and particularly muslim couples, apparently) are on the rise. There may be a correlation.
We need more Ummis to counterbalance the Abus here!
It is not about what Islam allows or forbids but rather what Muslims think Islam allows and forbids.
as well as supplying enough English language courses (which are also sensitive to cultural requirements and levels of ability), are provisions which fall primarily within the government’s remit.
I’m sorry, but this is nonsense. English is the most widely spoken language in the world and one of the factors driving its acquisition by every nationality on the planet is the availability of learning materials and authentic resources as well as the ability to practise speaking it just about everywhere you go, and even via the Internet. There is absolutely no excuse whatsoever for not learning English today as demonstrated by those residents of the Middle East I’ve met who, despite being relatively poor, still manage to attain a reasonable fluency in the language through the Internet, second-hand books and language classes with non-native speakers.
It is not the government’s responsibility to provide English classes and neither is it the taxpayer’s. If you spend 6 months in the UK surrounded by English language media and citizens who rarely speak another language, yet not attain any degree of fluency you only have yourself to blame.
I’m well aware of the conventional argument about women’s access in some minority communities to English, but frankly I have little sympathy when institutionalised anti-miscegeny has helped to shape such communities. My own mother-in-law arrived in the UK from Bangladesh in the early 1970s but can still only manage a few words of English. At the end of the day, she has had plenty of opportunity to learn the language and every assistance possible from her children, but the will isn’t there.
One solution, instead of pandering to the ideological multiculturalists, would be to outlaw the use of any language other than English on anyy official documentation; no translators would be employed by the state unless necessary to lead to a conviction or in the investigation of a crime. People would then be constrained to use English in any interaction.
And if the endemic racism and anti-miscegenation attitudes that permeate Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Orthodox Jewish communites were tackled so that more female Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and Jewish girls could marry outside of their faith, caste and whatever other nonsense is cooked up by such people, Britain as a whole would benefit.
Questioning all prospective public officials as to whether they’d allow their female relatives to marry outside of the faith, caste etc. would encourage integration and tackle the endemic, rabid racism of such communities. Those who disapproved, clothing their racism in the language of religious dogma, would be named and shamed and prevented from holding public office anywhere until they recanted and actively campiagned for marriage outside the faith.
I agree – most of these women have bloody long enough
A fascinating post -thank you.
Are there no grass roots voluntary schemes which help newly arrived women to better their knowledge of the English language? If the government isn’t channeling enough resources into this field then surely British born women from within (or without) the community could donate a few hours a week to help?
In the 70s (I’m revealing my age here!) my local feminist group ran a scheme in which we went once a week for 4 hours to the homes of newly arrived Hindu women and taught them basic English in small groups. For some women this was their first contact with the concept of literacy, which made it doubly difficult, but it was a real joy to see these women gain the confidence that came with being able to sign official papers and take up their place in the world.
I can not see how to justify special spending upon a specific religious community to help their people speak English whilst loving in the UK. It is absurd. If there are policies which allow immigrants who cannot speak English surely there must be both the onus on the individual and the people who are usually responsible for them to ensure this takes place. I have met people who have been in the UK for 30 years who cannot speak the language enough to enage in basic conversation. On what premise should tax payees be burdened with this?
I am excluding all benefit won’t go to work to get a job from this discussion (as opposed to people who have worked and contributed to the state treasury dr a reasonable period of time, even if they can’t currently find work) as it obviously doesn’t concern them…
I do voluntary ESOL (Govt. subsidised) tutoring for females in their homes. In many cases I canot attend muslim homes unless the husband is also present and I am actually female! The strange thing is that many of these muslim males are well educated (not refugees, but immigrants who satisfy NZ’s high standard of professional criteria) and speak good English, yet still request a female home tutor for their wives.
The male in the household will constantly answer on behalf of their female relatives which makes progress very slow as the women seemed to lose confidence or even the willingness to attempt to answer, but trying to get access to a female on their own is at times, difficult if not impossible. Even after several weeks of attendance the families seem reluctant to receive even female tutors in their home when there is no male presence and cancel on many occasions when husband becomes suddenly not available. No phone call or message – just a polite dismissal on the doorstep and the womans embarassed effort to put across the message to the tutor. I could understand that if I was a stranger but consider myself more an aquaintance having already been to their homes for previous lessons. It cannot be easy for these women, who ,when given the chance are generally friendly, giggly, inquisitive and love clothes and makeup as much as I do!
(Having said that, I generally receive an apology from the husband the next day – had to work late, no time to phone, slipped my mind etc. Obviously they don’t let their wives know what’s happening either – however, same can be said of many non muslim men as well!) But at first I did find that very offputting.
Obviously, most of these oral lessons have to be held in the evening when the husband is available whereas women from other nationalities are quite happy to spend the afternoon or morning chatting over coffee and playing with their children when their husbands are elsewhere.
Oh, how we at HQ cross our fingers that the next client will be a young Chinese woman from a rural village with preschool children whose delight and speed at learning the language of their new country makes it all worthwhile. Their main ambition is to be educated enough to keep up with and help with their children’s schoolwork and many go on to written English courses which the Govt. also provide. And hopefully, a job somewhere in the future – you can see the pride in their husband’s faces even when they know their wife’s English is better than theirs! They are so happy for them.
The government also offer free ESOL classes at the local colleges which most immigrants seem to opt for but of course one on one is such a better way to learn and we are always getting requests for the more personal touch – especially for those that are not confident enough or allowed to venture out on their own amongst strangers in a strange land, a position I absolutely understand.
But there is very definitely a cultural difference between males who want their wives to integrate and who look forward to their partaking in our society with all it has to offer and those whose wives are more secluded and whose husbands seem less accepting of the freely given friendship and educational opportunities we offer their female relatives.
I know domestic responsibilities are always at the forefront of a mother’s mind, but I also know that an educated mother rears an educated child and allows her peace of mind to know that she can take care of her family independently should something happen to her husband. Everyone benefits, especially those who do not have extended family in the same country.
Thanks loads for show somewhat useful informations. Your site is great.I am impressed by the information that you’ve got on this blog. It exhibits how very effectively you realize this subject. Bookmarked this process net page, will arrive again once more for lots more. You, my buddy, superb! I discovered simply the data I previously regarded for all over the place and just could not come across. What a ultimate web site. Just like this web website your website is one in all my new favorite.I equivalent to this data proven and it has given me some sort of motivation to have accomplishment for some trigger, so preserve up the useful work!