Migration and Gendered Labour

The migration of women within the framework of livelihood and labour market is transforming the dynamics of migration trends. The census figures from India, Mexico and USA on women’s participation in the labour markets show a high participation rate of women migrants particularly in the urban workforce. A host of factors, both economical and social, drive women to migrate. The reasons of migration are different across countries, however poverty, aspiration to make a better life remain a constant factor everywhere. In rural areas, factors like agricultural distress, changing land use patterns, increased mechanization, and environmental degradation have increased levels of poverty and unemployment for females, forcing them to move to urban areas for work. In urban areas, the emergence of gender-segregated labour markets post liberalization has meant that many low skilled, uneducated women can find opportunities in the informal sector. The women’s increasing participation in labour migration has given birth to many female forms of migration and female oriented employment niches have emerged.

A gender perspective on migration is important to explore the differing motivations, patterns and obstacles that women have in comparison to men. This can be seen both at the domestic and international migration front. The covid pandemic has also exposed the glaring inequities, informality and precariousness in the gendered division of labour. The session will explore the gender experiences of female migrants in different cultural settings.