Gender, immigration policies and accreditation: valuing the skills of professional women migrants

Human capital is the most important form of wealth for a modern nation and countries with the most intellectual resources are achieving the highest rates of economic growth. In the drive for human capital, many industrialised countries are giving priority to policies aimed at attracting highly skilled immigrants. The number of skilled immigrants who settle permanently in these countries is not rising but there is a significant level of temporary movement of highly skilled labour from developing countries, particularly in information technology (IT), medicine, nursing and teaching. Women now account for an increased proportion of highly skilled migrants but there are still few analyses of their economic participation. Immigration selection and occupational entry policies are crucial for an understanding of the gendered experiences of migration for skilled migrants. This article draws together material from empirical work and reports/other literature on the situation facing professional women compared to men, both permanent and temporary, in the selection processes for migration and the post-arrival processes of accreditation and recognition.