Abstract

Amira Y. Babiker Badri*

This paper presents an original qualitative study based on case study interviews, examining the types of work and challenges faced by semi-skilled African women in Florence, Italy, along with the opportunities and benefits gained and how women manipulate strategies to overcome subordination in work settings. The research highlights women's perceptions of decent work, their plans, and expectations. The research discusses two interrelated conceptual frames that migrant women usually find challenging: One is Gender Equality (GE) and the other is Decent Work (DW) in relation to skills building and well-being identity. The results indicated that women share different experiences and feelings; they are challenging practices of discrimination and exploitation that are imposed by employers and some colleagues. Conversely, women expressed satisfaction with child benefits and health insurance. Additionally, capacity-building programs, such as language and technical vocational training, are accessible to all migrants and are perceived as good opportunities. However, women rarely offer training opportunities or promotions in the workplace. Further, women's aspirations are constrained by stereotypical work patterns, which confine them in a cycle of poverty and gender inferiority. The resulting recommendations include enhancing capacity building programs for migrant women and promoting gender equality in job recruitment.