Ecuador, Malta, and Thailand are the best destinations for expat women worldwide, according to the Expat Insider survey. While Ecuador, with a majority of expats from the age group 50 plus, is the perfect place to retire, Malta has a lot to offer when it comes to work-life balance. The sunny climate and quality of life in Thailand, along with above-average ratings for women’s job satisfaction, financial situation, and the low cost of living, attract many women from abroad.
For career women, Hong Kong is the ideal destination, with almost three-quarters of women working there satisfied with their job and a similarly high percentage being optimistic about their career prospects. An average 14 percent of expat women in Hong Kong are in a top management position—which is more than twice the global average.
From ‘Trailing Spouse’ to Working Expat
Originally from Edinburgh, Simone Thompson moved to London for her career before leaving for Cairo for her partner’s job. Her reason for moving abroad is not uncommon: About every tenth expat moves for their partner’s sake. The couple then lived in Libya, India, and Australia before repatriating to Scotland. Their journeys taught Simone to be more open and curious about others, while her children gained confidence and tolerance. Once she became a mother, Simone continued to meet new people while volunteering at school. Surrounded by expat families, she realized that in most of these families, fathers were the earners and few moms worked.
“What I missed abroad was a professional network, which is why I joined InterNations. I like that people from different backgrounds come together with a positive mindset—aiming to make the most of their situation.”
On their first move, Simone was what many might label a “trailing spouse”. However, she actively traveled, learned Arabic, taught English, and volunteered to better know the country she called home. Getting restless as an expat spouse and trying to avoid a gap in her CV, Simone signed up for an Open University Diploma course and eventually started her own company, Global Expat Solutions, in Australia, helping other expats excel in their postings through trainings and workshops.
The Expat Insider survey shows that 60 percent of traveling spouses struggle after giving up their previous career—therefore, Simone’s efforts to establish a new career for herself are something she has in common with numerous expat women around the world.
Cultural differences in Egypt and India were hard to come to terms with as a woman, especially always needing a man’s authorization. Legally being able to work in these countries was also difficult, while her family was most concerned about safety issues. Despite these challenges, Simone thinks that the friendships she made along the way have indeed made living abroad worthwhile.
“In Egypt, I didn’t have access to our bank account and in India, sometimes local staff at my husband’s office would need to talk to ”sir“ about things I could have made a decision on, which was very different to my life in U.K.”
Living in the Middle East
It came as a surprise to InterNations Ambassadors Iwona Gawlewicz from Poland and Rebecca Mayston from New Zealand when their new home country Oman was ranked the seventh-most popular destination for expat women by respondents of the Expat Insider survey. Survey results show that the high position was primarily due to a positive rating of respondents’ financial situation, the low cost of living, and the welcoming local culture.
Before moving to Oman for an internship, Iwona was prepared to face harsh conditions; but she ended up finding freedom and a beautiful environment—far better than what she had expected. Although employment of women in Oman is very restricted and there are few support groups for professional expat women, Iwona assures that working in an international environment and being exposed to different cultures have definitely changed her perception of Oman for the better.
“Many people struggle with the idea of a woman independently living and working abroad, but I find it very liberating. I have been given much bigger opportunities in Oman than I would have had at home in New Zealand.”
Rebecca, on the other hand, had visited Oman before deciding to make her big move and become a manager at a local events agency called The Guide Oman. Her visit was enough of a taste to know that the country was something special; very safe with hospitable and friendly locals. Due to her move, she was able to gain incredible experiences, a strong international network and social circle, a wider appreciation for the Middle East region and an additional language to her skill set.
Just like many other expats, the biggest struggle Rebecca faces—aside from living far away from her family—is the negative and ignorant perceptions people have of the country she now calls home: “They find it hard to believe that I lead a fantastic life here, doing all the things I would do back home, and more.”
Working in the UK
After moving to the U.K. for work, Carla Júlio from Portugal noticed a significant difference in her new work environment: “There is less sexism in the U.K. Your merit as a professional is what matters more.” Furthermore, the digital designer has found working in the U.K. more structured, with companies respecting your private and family life, in addition to better job security than back home. In the international Expat Insider survey the U.K. ranked seventh for job and career opportunities, with almost two-thirds of expats content with their career prospects and an above-average number of women completely satisfied with their work-life balance.
After 20 years of expat experience, Carla has gained newfound confidence—but is no longer able to say ‘home’ without getting confused about where that actually is.
“Trust your qualities and jump into it. It’s not always easy but it’s a great experience. Use networks like InterNations to ease your life in a new country—for me it’s been invaluable.”
Moving Abroad: A Career Advancement
After doing her Bachelor’s degree in German in the U.K., Emily Harvey decided to move to Germany, where she has been living for the last ten years. After investing so much time learning German, moving there seemed the obvious next step. “The biggest challenge was becoming really fluent in the language,” she says. Almost half of the expats around the world share this problem, whereas English-speaking expat destinations profit in popularity from the ease of learning the local language.
Looking back at her experience abroad, Emily, who is now a manager at InterNations, the world’s largest social network for expats, believes she has become more open-minded as well as sympathetic towards people who live and work abroad. Learning about the different cultures of her international colleagues is something she enjoys a lot: “Understanding the vast differences in business cultures you discover abroad actually gives you a huge amount to offer when you return home,” she explains.
“I believe I am more independent than I was before moving abroad.”
Malte Zeeck, CEO and co-founder of InterNations, has a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, and additionally studied at the Bocconi University in Milan, the Fundação Getúlio Vargas in São Paulo, and the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie in Berlin.
