In a survey of more than 450 women living abroad, 63 percent of respondents said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their working conditions compared to 20 percent of respondents in a similar Expatica survey a year ago.

This is the second consecutive year Expatica has conducted a survey in collaboration with Amsterdam-based market research company Ruigrok / NetPanel.

Expat women in Belgium and France are the most happy with their professional lives. In contrast, women in Germany and the Netherlands are the least satisfied with their working life.

Most women said they enjoyed a positive relationship with their co-workers and were happy with commuting arrangements.

“I have amazing colleagues and could consider them as close friends,” said an expat living in the Netherlands.

 Another respondent gushed about her life in France: “I have lived and worked here for most of my life. I love my life here, the people, my house, everything.”

Women’s work woes

Meanwhile, promotion opportunities and low wages continue to trouble women expats at work. About 30 percent of the survey respondents felt there are limited job promotion opportunities, while 26 percent felt their wages are too low.

“The work opportunities for professional foreign women are practically nil. France seems very behind the times compared to the UK.” said an expat woman residing in France.

Others were shocked by the level of gender discrimination experienced in fully-developed countries in Europe.

“The opportunities for women to take on responsibility, manage significant projects, moving up in a company, or earn excellent money are about zero,” said a respondent living in Germany.

Finding a job also remains a challenge for women expats, with 64 percent saying they would be able to find a job more easily if they were back in their home country.

“In Brussels, it seems especially hard to become established professionally if you’re not fluent in French and Dutch, which is obviously unlikely if you are a foreigner,” said an expat woman living in Belgium.

“The Belgian emphasis on years of experience in a particular field seems to discriminate against young people and ignore actual talent,” she added.

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