From wives to relocating employees, the number of women abroad is increasing

What if the relocation of women abroad was no longer synonymous with a career break but with career development instead? Whilst the number of French workers relocating abroad has been increasing over the last few decades, a growing numbers of women are also considering international relocation as a kick-start for their own careers. This is especially true given that beyond the difficulties associated with the relocating abroad itself, women expats seem to excel in the personal success of their relocation plan… which makes them major assets for companies.

Women expatriates: who are these women?

The number of women who have relocated abroad on their own initiative has increased significantly for 10 years. Whether it’s an individual plan or a departure as a family, according to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 25% of women relocating abroad are under the age of 30, and 6 out of 10 female expatriates relocate with their children. 

This shift in status from being an expatriate’s wife to a female employee who has emigrated is evidence of women’s strong desire to boost their careers by way of significant experience abroad, particularly within Asian countries. Today, 20% of working adults abroad are women compared with only 10% in 2006.

If the spouse does still remain the reason behind the international relocation for the vast majority of women abroad, they are in fact increasingly selecting relocating abroad as an earnings driver. According to a recent HSBC* study, Australia has today joined Switzerland among the most popular destinations in terms of earnings for these new female expatriate profiles, despite an increased cost of living. Ultimately, for 46% of these women abroad, the primary reason remains their personal fulfilment through experiencing another culture and being immersed in a new country. 

Salary, logistics and children: the difficult juggle for women expatriate employees

Though today the number of women expatriate employees who are accessing positions of responsibility abroad is increasing, the stereotypes do however die hard, particularly in terms of unequal pay. 

Relocating abroad is no exception to the rule. Regardless of the destination country, gaps do unfortunately remain in wages, relocation allowances, the types of contract on offer, or quite simply the ways in which women and men expatriate employees are treated.

In addition to the professional glass ceilings is the refusal of two thirds of male spouses to follow their partner abroad. Once actually living within the host country, it’s the burden of managing the family that adds an additional difficulty on top – with the inclusion of the family largely falling to the woman who has relocated, regardless of whether she is the reason behind the move abroad or the household’s unique source of income.

Several statistics tend to indicate that women who have relocated abroad involve themselves more than male expatriates in the family aspect and monitor in considerably more detail the successful integration of members of the family**.

Integration as a key part of a successful move abroad

It’s no secret – HR Managers today are aware of how the success of relocation abroad is not only based on the professional success of expatriate employees. Studies pinpoint the personal sphere and family integration as determining factors in the success of an assignment abroad.

Female expatriate employees are broadly more driven than their male counterparts by the family dynamic within the host country and turn out to be more sensitive to the smooth integration of both the spouse and children. Consequently, it’s the expatriation project as a whole that is managed when the woman is the reason behind the international move, from moving house to the integration of the children into their new school, for example.For Yvonne McNulty – Senior Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, her 15 years of research on the subject leaves no room for doubt: women expatriate employees are better equipped to fully manage the integration of the whole family in addition to their new job and thus appear best placed to succeed with the expatriation process.

Could the expatriation of women be synonymous with promoting an employer’s brand?

The increase in women being the reason behind a relocation abroad is evidence of a real development in the typical profile of an expatriate employee.

If more and more women are opting for relocating abroad in order to boost their careers or for sole financial compensation reasons, the employer also has two cards to play here:  retaining female talent by offering opportunities that are similar to those of their male peers and promoting relocation as part of a move towards equal opportunities and gender equality.

Now more than ever, offering women the possibility to relocate abroad can be a major asset to standing out against the competition and promoting an employer’s brand, effectively positioning a company as an employer committed to equality in the workplace.

*   HSBC Expat Explorer Study
** According to research and the thesis by Annie Wong and Hoan Tran ‘‘Expatriate management: How can the expatriation process be improved?’’