Women from the Indian Subcontinent in Finland

Patterns of Integration, Family Life, Employment and Transnationalism among Marriage Migrants

The main aim of this study is to present a holistic picture of the lives of women and families from India and Nepal in Finland. The study concentrates on issues connected to the process of migration, family, ethnic community, societal participation, employment and future life prospects in the new country. A central focus is on labour market integration, including the associated experiences and expectations. In addition, the study identifies good practices as well as problems with regard to the activities of Finnish authorities in migration and integration affairs. Furthermore, as this is the first broader presentation of people from India and Nepal in Finland, it also sets the field for further research and tries to identify possible themes for later study, while providing elementary information upon which subsequent research can stand.

The primary materials of the study consist of statistical information provided by Statistics Finland as well as qualitative interviews with fourteen Indian and two Nepalese women living in Finland. In addition, interviews with four representatives of cultural, ethnic and religious organisations working with this population are include