New forms of solidarity have emerged among Eastern European migrants working in domestic care in Western countries. Far from their families and often working in isolated places, these women rely a lot on social media.
They are part of several Facebook groups, where they find useful information, learn about their rights and how to navigate bureaucracy or take part in online language sessions provided by their colleagues. As one Romanian Pflegerinnen group puts it: “It is a place for spending time, joking, crying and opening up about your problems.”
How did the emergence of these online groups, where women can practice solidarity, influence their social and economic experiences, as well as their psychological well-being? Can this fresh solidarity lead to better organisation and help migrants have a stronger voice and more negotiation power?
Diana Mesesan workes as a reporter for Scena 9, Bucharest. From January to March 2019 she is a Milena Jesenská Visiting Fellow at the IWM.
