The study delves into the dire socio-economic conditions of migrant women workers, highlighting their vulnerability and marginalization. It aims to explore avenues for enhancing their leadership qualities and empowerment to ameliorate their quality of life. The research encompasses demographic details, workplace challenges, economic hardships, psychological distress, health issues, and exploitation faced by unorganized women migrants. Employing a descriptive research design, the study randomly sampled 100 women respondents. Key findings include insights into their quality of life, economic status, workplace psycho-social challenges, health concerns, and coping mechanisms. Moreover, it sheds light on the prevalent exploitation and strategies employed by women to combat such adversities. Ultimately, the research strives to empower women, fostering their leadership capabilities during migration, thereby bolstering their resilience within their communities, families, and workplaces.
TopIntroduction
In recent decades, there have been more women migrating to India from Asia and the Pacific than men. Per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) estimated for 2020 to 2021, 37.2 per cent of male migrants and 47.9 per cent of female migrants are migrants. Most of the women are migrants due to family reasons and employment reasons, as well as education for their siblings. ILOTAT reported that 42 percent of women migrated 164 migrants in the world in 2017. Increase the number of women migrants in 24 out of 63 countries over the past year. It has been observed that wage inequality among migrant workers in low-income countries has decreased with rising country income levels. Female migrants received better pay than male migrants, but there was a pay disadvantage faced by migrants, including a gender pay gap observed among migrants.
Saikia (2015) reviewed a research paper to examine the causes of migration-related unemployment, the need for finances to go somewhere for work, the type of work, earnings and income, living circumstances, remittance flow, and the effect on the local economy. According to Kannan and Hari (2002) almost ten per cent of the population left the state due to unemployment. Zachariah and Rajan (2001) published a report on Migration Study 2007, 33 out of every 100 households in Kerala had an international migrant living in them in 1998, according to a survey done by the Center for Development Studies. Migration is a significant aspect of human situations and the cause of economic factors such as income inequality, rural hardship, and low employment. According to the research study, 30% of migrants are between the ages of 15 and 29. In this research study, the adult age group comprises 15 million people; additionally, among the women aged 31 to 40, 36% are migrants. The percentage of women from rural areas who are 8.4% and those from urban areas who are 7.9% indicates that most people from rural areas have moved frequently (Patric, 2002). Since independence, the average life expectancy has increased substantially, from 32 years to over 65.48 per cent for the general population and 67 per cent for women, according to the 2011 census.
Housing Condition: The majority of migrant women workers live in kutcha houses. They have no primary facilities like bathrooms and toilets. The majority of regular casual workers live in houses with tiled and asbestos roofs. Working Conditions, the working conditions of the women migrant workers are miserable. They are drawn overwhelmingly from the weaker section of the society. The majority of the workers are unskilled and illiterate. They go through early marriage and have relatively more dependents in their respective families. They are from rural backwards. They have to support dependents left behind in their place of origin. Family is the work unit in many activities where migrant labour is engaged, particularly road laying, brick kiln, construction and quarry. The nature of work is varied. Although the employers must provide accommodation for the labour, the majority of the employers do not fulfil this obligation. Even where accommodation is provided, the quality of accommodation provided is far from desired.
Minimum Wages Denied: The migrant women workers do not receive the minimum wages. Often the principal employer does not pay it and usually the contractor deducts his cut from whatever wage is found. Furthermore, a variety of education and fines considerably reduce the actual received wages. Working Hours: The working hours of the women migrant workers are long hours and uncertain. Often the workers may be summoned at any time of the night or day. Since the migrants are usually camped at the work site, they are seen by the employer as on call at any time. Safety and Social Security: Safety and social security measures are very poor. Some occupations are extremely hazardous for the workers. There are no provisions for holidays and hours of work. No leave facilities and maternity leave benefits are extended to migrant women workers. Compensation to workers injured at work is either very low or is not given at all. No employer bothers about the employee provident fund scheme, although it is obligatory on the part of employers to comply with the provision of the scheme.