A qualitative evalution on the labor of migrant women working in the greenhouse sector in Altinova

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the participation in labor markets and gender roles of immigrant women who came to the Altinova district of Yalova province with international migration and work in the greenhouse sector. . Turkiye’s geopolitical location has always been a transit country for immigrants. In addition, with the influence of the “Arab Springâ€, which took place especially in 2010 and affected many Middle Eastern countries, mass migrations took place from Middle Eastern countries to Turkey, and with these mass migrations, immigrants entering Turkey were included in Turkey’s labor markets. Although there are many studies on immigrant labor in the literature, it is seen that studies on immigrant women’s labor are limited in quantitative terms. Studies have generally focused on the labor of immigrant women in sectors such as domestic services, care services, and tourism, and no study has been found examining the situation of immigrant women in the greenhouse sector. For this reason, this study was conducted to evaluate the labor of immigrant women working in the greenhouse sector in the Altinova district of Yalova province. The study, conducted in the Altinova district of Yalova province in 2023, is based on interviews with 10 women from different ethnic groups who had to migrate to Turkey. Women’s efforts to exist in the labor markets with the perception that “a woman’s place is in the home†brought about by gender roles have been continuing for many years. Along with the secondary disadvantage of being an immigrant, the position of immigrant women in the labor markets makes them an even more vulnerable group. This study, which uses qualitative research methods, shows that immigrant women struggle with many problems in the labor markets, such as low wages, social exclusion, dequalification, and being obliged to continue their current job, as a result of the perception of fragile, easily manageable and cheap labor brought about by gender roles.