Immigrant Women in Leadership : A qualitative study exploring the intersectionality of gender and ethnicity and leadership barriers in Sweden

Sammanfattning

Sweden is consistently ranked highly in global indexes measuring gender equality. Despite this we can see significant gender gaps existing, for instance in the representation in leadership roles, where men tend to dominate. It is also visible that gaps exist within the female gender, where immigrant women face more professional barriers compared to their native peers. How do immigrant women in Sweden perceive the barriers to attaining leadership roles?, through existing research and ten semi-structured interviews, the study seeks to better understand immigrant females’ own experiences and perceptions about the barriers they face when aiming to advance professionally in Sweden. The study’s findings show that language and communication barriers, motherhood norms, discrimination, and limited access to informal networks are perceived by the respondents to be key factors preventing them and immigrant women in general from becoming leaders. The analysis also shows how structural and cultural barriers are experienced by these women and affect their willingness to pursue higher leadership roles. Furthermore, this thesis focuses on the concept of intersectionality and highlights that more marginalized groups are more likely to face higher obstacles.