A Study of Internal Working Female Migrants in Kochi City, Kerala

Abstract

As migration is dominated by men, with women comprising either residual or dependent followers, its gender dimensions are rarely addressed in literature in India. The decision to migrate of women is often highly influenced by intra-household gender relations and hierarchies. They often migrate out of concerns of household poverty or to ensure family survival through remittances as supplementary income. In this context, the paper attempts to study the socio-economic background, and working and living conditions of working female migrants in Kochi city. It also examines the reasons for their migration, benefits received and the problems faced at work in the city. The paper is based on primary data collected from 184 female migrants working in urban informal labour market of Kochi city, Kerala State, during January to April 2023. The findings of the study revealed all the sample migrant women to be engaged in informal sector, owing to their low education and skill. While their push factors for migration were poverty and debt at native home, the pull factors to Kochi city included more regular employment and better income. They are largely self-employed and work as domestic help or street vendors. They work for hours longer than prescribed under minimum work hours, besides lacking social protection measures. Their perceived problems at work were low wages, work not regular and longer working hours. The major benefits of migrant family in Kerala were better employment and income, infrastructure and children’s education. The Lorenz curve shows that there is a significant decline in the income inequality among migrant households with the additional income earned by the female migrants. The study recommends the need for local language mediators, to help the migrants benefit from the State’s migrant workers welfare schemes.