„Femigration. Entrepreneurial Polish Women in Italy” is a new research project by the Museum of Emigration, continuing the theme of Polish (F)EMIGRATION. This time, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Rome, we will examine the phenomenon of Polish women entrepreneurs in Italy. On March 8, 2023, we published the Femigration report, where we explored the migrations of highly qualified Polish women. We investigated why well-educated specialists move abroad, what factors determine their decision to stay there, or what needs to happen for them to return to their home country.
From Polish soil to Italian ground
Business in Italy still predominantly belongs to men. Among those engaged in entrepreneurial activities, women constitute only 30%. However, the proportions are different for businesses run by individuals who arrived in Italy from Poland. Statistics have consistently shown a significant feminization of the „Polish” entrepreneurship sector on the Apennine Peninsula—women own half of the approximately 4,000 businesses run by emigrants from Poland.
What influences the business activity of Polish female emigrants? What is their living and professional situation? What are the experiences of Polish women in Italy—as migrants and as businesswomen? What strategies do they adopt when initiating entrepreneurial activities? What barriers and difficulties do they encounter?
We will strive to ensure that none of these questions goes unanswered.
Participation in the study
We invite so-called immigrant entrepreneurs to participate in our project—first-generation migrant women, i.e., those born in Poland who have started entrepreneurial activities in Italy. We hope that the study will not only outline the profile of Polish businesswomen in Italy but also define the needs and challenges faced by the community of Polish women entrepreneurs on the Apennine Peninsula.
To participate, simply meet the above conditions and complete the survey, which can be found at this link: femigracjaitalia.webankieta.pl. We will be awaiting responses from April 21 to May 22, 2023.
The result of our project will be a freely distributed report presenting the data we have collected, accompanied by expert comments.
The research project „Femigration. Entrepreneurial Polish Women in Italy” is conducted in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Rome.