In 2024, 229.050 women born outside the EU-27 and of working age lived in Flanders. Their employment rate increased from 53.8% in 2021 to 55.7% in 2024, but remained below that of men born outside the EU (73.6%) and women born in Belgium (76.4%). According to the SERV Diversity Committee, their labour market position is shaped by a combination of individual, family and social factors, as well as institutional factors such as access to childcare, recognition of foreign qualifications, language barriers and discrimination. The committee therefore advocates a policy approach combining integration and inclusion and addressing barriers across different policy areas, with particular attention to the intersection of gender and origin.

The advice highlights education and training as important factors in improving access to employment and supporting sustainable careers. It calls for stronger support for girls who migrate to Flanders at a young age, including through education and study guidance. For female newcomers of working age, the SERV recommends rapid and sustainable pathways into employment. For applicants for international protection, this includes access to work from the first day of legal residence, information on employment and training during the reception period, and restoring their right to participate in an integration programme once they become eligible to work. For newcomers in the integration programme, the committee calls for a smoother transition to the labour market through flexible and tailored Dutch language training and by aligning participation and networking activities more closely with their professional prospects, including through volunteering and mentoring. It also recommends closer cooperation between integration and employment services.

The SERV further calls for sustainable labour market integration through matching women with suitable jobs, opportunities for career progression and support for entrepreneurship. It also recommends training employment and integration counsellors to recognise and address unconscious bias. The committee also stresses the importance of childcare that is accessible, affordable and sufficiently flexible to support women combining employment or training with family responsibilities. For women who are not economically active, it recommends proactively exploring their potential interest in employment through outreach and locally tailored support. Finally, the SERV calls for a more inclusive labour market, including measures to address discrimination and improved monitoring and research on the intersection of gender and origin.

For further information, please see the SERV press release and consult the advice (below) for full details (in Dutch).