Having the approved studies is a condition sine qua non, didn’t they tell you?” Aisha was unaware of the difficulty of obtaining approval or, where appropriate, the equivalence of studies carried out in Pakistan when it arrived in the Basque Country in 2012. Aisha personifies all migrant women who, upon arriving here, have encountered difficulties in accessing decent employment or continuing their studies. What they did not say to anyone and others is that the approval process for the studies can be extended for years from the start of the procedure.
"The barrier to the approval of studies is a major problem for the migrant community, of which little is said about"
Approval of the studies, as well as being a long process, is not available to all. The economic cost of the procedure and the procedure it entails, both when it is initiated and during it, can be unattainable for many. This process is only one of the devices that harm migrants from the global South and, in particular, women. These are, to a large extent, the care of the elderly and dependents in the CAPV. In Bidez Bide Elkartea special attention is paid to working women who live 24 hours in the homes where they work. Founded in 2009, the association consists largely of migrated women living in the Basque Country. Bidez Bide works hard to advise people who need it in the challenge of approving and validating their studies and qualifications. It is the only association dealing with this area in the Community and has recently patented the advisory programme for the approval of Parekatu studies and training pathways aimed at migrant women residing in the CAPV.
In the Spanish State and therefore also in the Basque Country, the barrier to the approval of studies is an important problem for the migrant community, something little is said about. Carmen A. Cares Mardones and Cecilia Themme Afan have warned in the recent report published with the financial support of Emakunde in 2020 that a large proportion of migrant women, especially those from South America and Central America, are occupying recounted jobs. To make visible the complexity of the structure and to facilitate access to foreign women in this situation are some of the objectives of Bidez Bide. Thanks to the work of the association, many women are receiving help to embark on the procedures for the recognition of their studies and are improving their living conditions.