Women Immigrants in the City of Buenos Aires, a study released by the Ecumenical Support Service for Immigrants and Refugees, indicates a great disparity between the level of education achieved by women who migrate to Argentina and income received. The study concludes that the “migration process devalued the educational levels and past training of women (immigrants), who tended to be overqualified for jobs they performed.” A survey of 180 women from Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia found of those interviewed 53% were single, 60% had children, and an overwhelming 59% had post-secondary education. Contrary to higher education attainment, of the 180 women surveyed, 68% worked as domestics either in private homes or textile factories. Paraguayan, Peruvian and Bolivian women who migrate to Argentina in search of higher wages to support their families or education costs. For example, one woman interviewed for the study reported that she migrated to Argentina in 1996 to save money to purchase supplies needed for her thesis to complete law school. She has worked as a domestic for four years and has yet to finish her courses. Domestic workers in Paraguay and Bolivia receive average monthly earnings of $20 to $49 monthly versus wages in Argentina of $500 monthly and higher costs of living.
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