One of the reasons for labour migration in Bukovyna may be the prevalence of domestic violence

A seminar on gender aspects of labour migration in border areas of Ukraine was held on 21 March in Chernivtsi with the support of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. As well as representatives of the authorities, law enforcement agencies and civic organizations, the discussion was also attended by the Romanian Consul in Chernivtsi Romeo Sendulescu.

According to the organizers, over 100 thousand people from the Chernivtsi region are working abroad, the overwhelming majority being women.

The Deputy Head of the Regional Administration, Boris Bahley, pointed out that the highest level of labour migration is found in the three Romanian-speaking areas of the region, where a fourth of the children have parents working abroad.

A representative from the Friedrich Ebert Foundation believes that as well as poverty and unemployment, another factor causing people to travel abroad for work is domestic violence against women.  As a result, illegal labour migration has adverse socio-economic and psychological consequences. Not only does Bukovyna lose qualified workers, but families are split up and children suffer through not being brought up by their parents.

Experts stress the need to study the consequences of the psychological damage which children suffer when growing up in without both parents, and usually without their mother.

Romanian Consul Romeo Sendulescu believes that there is no need to be disturbed by labour migration if this is legal since it can have benefits with people gaining work experience and skills, improving the material level of their families and being able to use the money earned to set up their own businesses after returning to Ukraine.

The participants all agreed that joint efforts were needed by the authorities and the public to ensure that the process of labour migration was legalized and made more civilized.