Italo-Latin American Institute focuses on Colombian women

Colombian women's collective is microcosm of Italy migrants

(ANSA) Rome, July 2 - A collective of Colombian women working in Italy has provided a rare microcosm of working conditions among immigrant women in Italy and their insertion into Italian society, a seminar organised by the Italo-Latino American Institute underlined Wednesday.

In all there are more than 5.5 million foreigners in Italy, of whom 400,000 are from south America and 70% of those are women. Such woman play a dominant role in the intricate balance between the world of work, the economy and remittances that are sent back to their home countries. The role of Colombian women previously had been little studied. Presented by the Institute's Secretary General, Giorgio Malfatti di Monte Tretto, the seminar on female migration explored the significance of the Colombian women's collective, underlined the nature of the migration flow of Colombian women to Italy, examining their conditions and characteristics in the labour market and in entrepreneurial ventures.

Among those attending the seminar were the Colombian Ambassador, Juan Sebastian Betancur. Speakers included Ginevra Demaio, Curator of the Roman Observatory on Migrations IDOS, Maria Parente, an ISFOL researcher, José Angel Oropeza, Director of the OIM, Alessandra Ciurlo, lecturer in social research at the Pontifical Gregorianan University. The moderator of the event was José Luis Rhi-Sausi, the Socio Economic Secretary of the IILA.