Leaving Home Behind - Career Opportunity or Seeking for a Safer Life?

Authors

• Heli Hyvönen

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23979/fypr.45030

Keywords:

Finland, Estonia, female migrants

Abstract

This article analyzes Finnish and Estonian womens perceptions of migration. The
central questions are why women migrated from Finland to Estonia or vice versa,
what expectations they had and how they ? rst experienced the immigration. The data
consists of 48 in-depth interviews. The starting point for the two groups was different
and unequal; furthermore, the time of migration played a crucial role in the formation
of their experiences. The majority of the Finnish women interviewed migrated in the 21st
century, mostly for family or career reasons. Their expectations were rather negative
and their main experiences were related to their roles: following a husband or creating
their own careers. Most Estonians migrated to Finland in the early or mid-1990s, when
the societal situation was very unstable and many wanted to leave the country to look
for a better life. However, they ? rst found life in Finland challenging.