Empowerment or a double burden? Work, family, and agency among Albanian migrant women in Greece

Abstract

Traditional gender roles are redefined during the migration process as some women gain more economic independence and can challenge the power hierarchies within the domestic sphere. Drawing on 36 biographical interviews with Albanian migrants in Greece, the analysis highlights the importance of gender, work, and agency in the migration process. By taking on the main breadwinner role, in response to high levels of male unemployment, Albanian women in Greece have challenged the traditional gender roles and division of labour within the domestic domain. Thus, women’s empowerment has come at the cost of having to bear the double burden of working both within and outside of the household. The notion of ‘reflexive agency’ provides us with an in-depth understanding of the complex ways Albanian women are negotiating change, and of the power dynamics that have emerged as a result of shifts in gender role configurations.