Paper short abstract:

Georgian female migrants have endured enormous politico-economic changes in their lives from Soviet Georgia to a post-socialist, and then transition from Georgia to Turkey. This study addresses how women navigate shifting gender roles as in socialist, post-socialist, and migration contexts.

Paper long abstract:

This study addresses how gender norms under different political-economic contexts have shaped Georgian immigrant women's lives and experiences as immigrants in Turkey. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many post-socialist countries including Georgia faced serious threats to economic development and political stability, including high unemployment and privatization. Georgian women lived through these changes, and many ultimately chose to migrate internationally, often leaving their families behind. The most popular destination is Turkey, given its geographic proximity and the flexible visa regime between both countries.

This presentation examines the personal experiences of these migrant women who have endured at least two enormous politico-economic changes in their lives: first, the transition from Soviet Georgia to a post-socialist, free market economy; second, the transition from Georgia to Turkey. In my presentation, I examine the women's lives and women's roles in Soviet Georgia, how these were affected with the transition to the Republic of Georgia, and finally, how their lives changed again with differing gender norms as immigrants in Turkey.