Want a husband? Try the Faroe Islands!

Posted by Akila, 02 May

Acute shortage of women

There is an acute a shortage of women in the Faroe Islands. Men are now 'outsourcing' wives from Thailand and Philippines.

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Moving the tropics isn't easy for these women. One Athaya Slaetalid used to sit next to the heater all day since winter in Faroe lasted six months. Even when people suggested she goes out when the sun was out, she used to refuse saying: "No! Leave me alone, I'm very cold." It wasnt easy for her she admits.

Her husband Jan was prepared for the challenges that came with moving someone to a different culture and weather.

"I had my concerns because everything she was leaving and everything she was coming to were opposites," he admits. "But knowing Athaya, I knew she would cope."

So far more than 300 women have moved from Thailand and Philippines. Well, given that Faroe islands has like 50,000 people, that seems to be quite a considerable number. They are the largest minority in 18 islands between Norway and Iceland.

Get this! Young people are leaving the Faroe islands. They are looking for better education. And they are not coming back. Clearly, the women seem to settle abroad. There is a 'gender deficit' according to Prime Minister Axel Johannesen. There are 2000 fewer women.

The men in Faroe are looking outside of the island. However, most met their dudes online. Some, social media.

Much as she now works at a restaurant business and has adjusted to the climate change, initially, Athaya had her concerns about moving to a different country.

"When our son Jacob was a baby, I was at home all day with no-one to talk to," she says. "The other villagers are older people and mostly don't speak English. People our age were out at work and there were no children for Jacob to play with. I was really alone. When you stay at home here, you really stay at home. I can say I was depressed. But I knew it would be like that for two or three years."

It was after theirson was in Kindergarten that she started meeting other Thai women.

Krongrak Jokladal also felt isolated initially. Given the language barrier, she had to take a low-level job. In Thai she was an accountant. In Faroe, she had to start a massage palor.

According to prime minister Johannesen, the government is taking these adjustments seriously.

"The Asian women who have come in are very active in the labour market, which is good," he says. "One of our priorities is to help them learn Faroese, and there are government programmes offering free language classes."

Clearly this sors this acute shortage of women.

4 responses to "Want a husband? Try the Faroe Islands!"

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  1.   Moonlei says:
    Posted: 17 Mar 18

    Hi. I'm from the philippines. Hope and pray to marry somebody from faroe island

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  2.   Nor1364 says:
    Posted: 19 Dec 17

    Your country so peaceful im nory tibig widowed i wish i can fine someone in your place i want to go there thanks god bless to all

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  3.   Abudust says:
    Posted: 04 Jun 17

    when some one have a right partner is the happyness moment in is Life,may the Lord help me to have my,Thanks to having me

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