Women Migrant Workers Research Articles

Role of Social Support in Improving Quality of Life among Myanmar Women Migrant Workers in Central and Northern Thailand: Implications for Community Nursing

Background: Social support and quality of life (QoL) are crucial for the well-being of individuals. Myanmar women migrant workers in Thailand represent a vulnerable population, yet there are limited studies on social support and QoL among these migrants. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated associations between social support and QoL among Myanmar women migrant workers in central and northern Thailandthrough multistage sampling using a structured questionnaire. Social support was measured using the Medical Outcome Study Social Support Survey, and QoL was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF. Multiple linear regression was analysed to find the association between social support and QoL, adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Results: Among 575 participants, they had an average overall social support score of 61.73 ± 16.47, with low support = 24.35%, moderate support = 46.43%, and high support = 29.22%. The average overall QoL score was 90.54 ± 13.23. Higher social support was positively associated with QoL (B = 4.781 for moderate support and B = 9.721 for high support, p < 0.01). Higher education and easier access to emergency finances were also positively associated with QoL. Conclusion: Tailored social support interventions are recommended to enhance QoL among Myanmar women migrant workers in Thailand. Community nurses play a critical role in these interventions by providing education, facilitating access to resources, and fostering supportive networks.

Toward Postsecular Feminism: Intersectionality and the Religious Subjectivities of Women Migrant Workers in China

This article investigates the subjectivities of Christian women migrant workers within the context of China’s social transformation, characterized by the interactive advancement of global capitalism, rural-to-urban migration, and “Christian fever.” Despite the burgeoning literature on women migrant workers in global capitalism within geographical scholarship, there has been less focus on women migrants’ religious subjectivity and agency. Drawing on empirical research on the intersectional experiences of women migrant workers, this article seeks to advance a postsecular feminism by bringing intersectionality into conversation with debates on postsecularity and gender inequalities. First, we examine the intersectional “matrix of domination” imposed through state power, Chinese patriarchal culture, and the gendered and class-based disciplinary labor regime under global capitalism, which serves as an ontological condition in which women migrants’ religious subjectivities form and are shaped. Second, we use intersectionality to help understand the process of becoming and a relation of emergence, wherein multiple agential qualities of women migrants—manifesting as counterpatriarchal subjects or through docile, tolerant, self-sacrificial, and pious femininity—arise at the intersections of religion, class, gender, and family. We therefore argue that postsecular feminist critique needs to carefully consider the patterns and diverse effects of intersectionality where both domination and religious agency are engendered and interwoven.

Indonesian Migrant Women Workers in Türkiye and Media Representation at Home: Precarity Works and Mediating the State Protection

This qualitative study examines the portrayal of Indonesian migrant women workers in Türkiye by major Indonesian online media outlets from 2019 to 2023. Using content analysis, the research explores dominant media representations surrounding workers in Türkiye's care service and tourism sectors. Findings reveal patterns of precarious work, exploitation, and vulnerability to undocumented employment, particularly involving Syrian employers. The study highlights a significant shift in media coverage from sensationalist reporting to echoing government narratives on combating undocumented migration. This shift aligns with Indonesia's labour-export policy reforms under President Jokowi, which aim to promote labour migration to formal sectors and distance the country's image from domestic worker exports. The research demonstrates how media reflects and reinforces state migrant protection policies through "domesticated protection." However, this approach inadvertently perpetuates victimization and potentially exacerbates vulnerabilities by stigmatizing unofficial migration channels. While intended to safeguard workers, stringent regulations may if not already contribute to increased undocumented migration. By analyzing the nexus between media representation, state policies, and migrant precarities, this study contributes to understanding the complex dynamics of labour migration in an emerging corridor, calling for a more nuanced approach to media coverage, policy-making, and future studies that acknowledges both migrant agency and structural challenges.

Gender dynamics during COVID-19 and its impact on South Asian women migrants in GCC countries

ABSTRACT The feminisation of migration was already an established phenomenon much before the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world and disrupted the migration pattern. It not only disturbed existing equilibrium but also rewrote a new order of gendered migration. It imposed severe constraints on mobility by closing the borders of sovereign nation-states, imposing lockdowns and putting populations under quarantine. Migrant workers, especially women were adversely affected by these restrictions and became easy victims of economic, social and structural inequalities. Under these observations, the research paper analyses the magnitude and patterns of gender dynamics among South Asian women in the Gulf. It also examines how a global health crisis reinforces existing gendered socialisation and creates new gender biases which impact women migrant workers disproportionately. The research article also discusses roles and responsibilities, patterns of expenditure, remittances etc of migrating women from South Asia to the Gulf and the changes which have occurred.

Women migrant workers’ (WMWS) deskilling

Women are key actresses in sending and receiving countries’ developments, and their contributions includes social and financial remittances, education and the transmission of social and cultural values (United Nations, 2006). Despite, women migrants’ undeniable contributions, they too often undergo deskilling, a process defined as the employment of workers in a different field or below their qualifications. The factors influencing deskilling include the lack of recognition of skills and qualifications, difficult access to information and employment opportunities, lack of support in the destination country and linguistic barriers. Migration can impact the social mobility of women migrants, yet not always positively (Nowicka, 2012). In the labour market, women migrants are generally disadvantaged because of occupational gender segregation, the lack of network support and childcare responsibilities (EU Commission, 2022), with higher risks of deskilling and downward social mobility. The objective of the brief is to shed light on WMWs’ deskilling and explore the impact of gender and ethnicity in labour segmentation, de-emancipation being a consequence of WMWs’ deskilling and overrepresentation in reproductive unskilled jobs.

The realities of return migration: Reintegrating women migrant domestic workers in Sri Lanka

This paper critically analyzes the Sri Lankan government’s management of return migration. Adopting an intersectional lens, it examines how exclusionary policies and programs fail to protect the rights and welfare of returnee women migrant domestic workers, resulting in poor reintegration outcomes. The paper focuses on three interconnecting issues that disproportionately impact upon their rights, as revealed by empirical fieldwork carried out in Colombo in 2018. Research findings from interviews and focus group discussions with civil society organizations (9), government agencies (3) and international organizations (3) highlight the need for an inclusive policy approach. Such an approach would involve a holistic response guided by inter-agency coordination and comprehensive data that would better tailor services to the specific skillsets and diverse circumstances of returnee women domestic workers.

Screen Memories: The Audiovisual Heritage of Turkish Migrant Women in the Netherlands Across Political Film, Video, and Television

This article explores the counterhegemonic uses of audiovisual media —such as film, video, and television— by migrant women workers, specifically focusing on the media tactics of self-representation used in the intersectional feminist activism of migrant women workers from the Turkish Republic in the Netherlands from 1975 to 1985. Through comprehensive archival research, it aims to historically contextualise and critically evaluate the archival conditions of this marginalised audiovisual heritage. Drawing on archival presences of extant film and television material as well as archival absences, such as lost and abandoned projects, the paper proposes to reconfigure the ‘audiovisual heritage’ of underrepresented communities at the intersection of race, gender, and class, whose archival presences are contingent, arbitrary, and fragmented. To address the specific condition of archival paucity concerning the audiovisual heritage of migrant women workers, the paper concludes with the new perspectives opened by a feminist media historiography of open questions, critical fabulation, and counterfactual speculation.

Violence Against Women and Immigrant Workers

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Gendered Migration in India: Exploring the Challenges and Human Rights Issues Faced by Female Migrant Workers in Perumbavoor, Ernakulam District, Kerala

Most studies on inter-state migrant workers in Kerala focus on male migrants arriving in the state. Kerala began to receive migrant workers in 1950. There has been a significant shift in it since 1990. From the 1960s to the 1990s, migrant workers came to Kerala from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka. During those times, women came to Kerala along with men. After the 1990s, migration from Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, and Haryana gained momentum. Many women have moved to Kerala since 2000, as opposed to male migrants from 1990 to 2000. Many human rights issues face migrant women in Kerala, including their workplaces, lifestyles, job searches, and travel. The consequences of not getting significant health interventions and being harassed at work are not well known in society. A study of migrant women begins in the public space, where they are not considered citizens but as objects of utility. My research revealed 516,000 migrant women in Kerala, based on a government document obtained through RTI. There are 25000 female migrant workers among them. It is estimated that around 34 lakh migrant workers work in Kerala, according to the Kerala Planning Board's 2021 report. Out of that, 20% of women work in many workplaces and enterprises in Kerala. According to surveys and a government assessment, Kerala's Ernakulam district has the highest concentration of migrant women workers. The female migrant workers in the Perumbavoor one of the cities of the Ernakulam district are the subject of this study. Female workers who work in plywood, bricks, baji, tailoring, pan shops, plastic manufacturing, textile manufacturing, and other industrial units are the subject of this study. Female migrant workers are personally met and interviewed during fieldwork to obtain data. For this study, qualitative ethnographic research methodology is employed. The findings of this study suggest the government's policy-making for social welfare, social security, job security, the prevention of sexual violence, and making sure that female migrants in Kerala receive equal pay for equal work. This study is being conducted with the human rights of women migrant workers in Kerala foremost in mind. Information is being directly collected from migrant women workers, labour department health department government representatives, trade union members, NGO representatives, etc.

Quadruple Helix Model for Women Migrant Workers Protection During Natural Disaster; learn from COVID-19 protection preparations

Cross-sectoral cooperation is urgently needed in the protection of women migrant workers. Especially migrant workers from West Java who are the third largest contributor in Indonesia after East Java and Central Java. The protection of women migrant workers requires a gender sensitive approach, because each protection will have a different impact on women and men. Natural disaster made the women migrant workers were affected economically, socially, and mentally. Cross-sectoral collaboration needs to be carried out by BP2MI, private companies providing employment, civil society represented by non-governmental organizations and mass media, and academics represented by researchers. Quadruple Helix theory by (Carayannis & Campbell, 2010) is an approach in creating a synergy of cooperation from four actors, namely A (Academician), B (Businessman), C (Civil Society) and G (Government) to build cross-sectoral collaboration in West Java. A qualitative research method with descriptive exposure was used in this study. The results of the study show that the actors involved in the protection of women migrant workers have shown cross-sectoral collaboration named Migrant Worker Resources Center one-stop service (LTSA- MRC) with gender sensitivity perspectives.

Discrimination and violence against women migrant workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic: A mixed-methods study.

Women migrant workers are vulnerable to discrimination and violence, which are significant public health problems. These situations may have been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to investigate discrimination against women migrant workers in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic and its intersection with their experiences of violence and associated factors. A mixed-methods study design was employed to collect data from 572 women migrant workers from Myanmar, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Cambodia. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 494 participants using a structured questionnaire for quantitative data, whereas qualitative data was collected through 24 in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 54 migrant women. Simple and multiple logistic regression and content analysis were employed. This study found that about one in five women migrant workers experienced discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those who experienced discrimination, 63.2% had experienced intimate partner violence and 76.4% had experienced non-intimate partner violence in their lifetime. The multivariable analysis revealed that women migrant workers who had experienced any violence (AOR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.49, 5.12), lost their jobs or income during the pandemic (AOR = 3.99, 95% CI = 2.09, 7.62), and were from Myanmar (AOR = 4.68, 95% CI = 1.79, 12.21) were more likely to have experienced discrimination. The results suggest that the intersection of discrimination and violence against women migrant workers in Thailand demands special interest to understand and address the problem. It is recommended that policymakers provide interventions and programs that are inclusive and responsive to the unique needs of women migrants depending on their country of origin and job profile.

Beyond Kafala! Employers’ discriminatory attitudes and violations of the rights and freedoms of women migrant domestic workers in Lebanon

Abstract Women migrant domestic workers (WMDWs) constitute 7.7 per cent of migrant workers worldwide, of whom more than a quarter work in the Arab region under the exploitative Kafala, system. In this article, we center employers as key actors in the making of the discursive meaning of Kafala. Utilizing data from a mixed-methods study on Lebanese employers of live-in WMDWs, we investigate whether practices that violate the rights and freedoms of workers are determined by the employers’ knowledge of what Kafala and local legal obligations entail versus other factors. The findings reveal that, although knowledge of legal obligations increases compliance with basic worker rights, employers shape the meaning of Kafala through practices that resonate with their discriminatory attitudes and financial interests. Thus, whilst benefit may accrue from enhancing employers’ knowledge of local legal obligations, only anti-racism advocacy that addresses deep-seated discriminatory attitudes and mobilizes employer morality would improve the rights and freedoms of WMDWs. The article does not abrogate Kafala as an exploitative system but calls for centering employers who, through their daily practices, contribute to shaping its meaning and reinforcing its power.

Overcoming Barriers: Women Migrant Workers in Western Odisha

Migration is generally the permanent or semi-permanent transformation of residents inside or outside of a country. There can be inter-state, intra-state, inter-district and intra-district migration. The movement of people from village areas to town areas is called rural-urban migration. The rural push factors such as decline in income from agriculture, lack of alternative job, poverty, unemployment, denied access to basic facilities, further encourage people to move to cities. Women and girls are migrating to cities in hopes of getting opportunities, finding greater financial independence, and gaining new lives for themselves and their families. In that condition, the informal sector provides employment opportunities for women in cities as street vendors, domestic workers, construction workers, etc. Migration is widespread in the area of western Odisha. There is a mass seasonal migration from rural to urban areas, including Sambalpur, Bargarh, and to cities in other neighbouring states. This paper begins with a discussion on female worker migration in Western Odisha, tracing the roots from perspectives of both push and pull factors. Next, it examines the challenges confronted by female migrants in the workplace and challenges related to basic infrastructure after migration. Finally, there will be discussion on policy and programmes for migrant workers.

Self-surveillance practices of factory women migrant workers receiving SRH interventions in Malaysia: The effects of salience, gendered subjectivity and universalism

Managing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs remains a challenge for many women migrant workers in developing countries. Nonetheless, the extent to which they can be supported in meeting these needs remains underexplored, with implications for worker health and working life. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 25 factory women migrant workers in Penang, Malaysia, this article applies a Foucauldian lens of governmentality to explore directly their agency in managing their SRH. The authors consider the self-surveillance practices the women adopt in response to a programme of SRH interventions. The findings reveal varied degrees of compliance with programme expectations. The article demonstrates empirically the importance of the perceived salience of SRH as a motivating force in self-surveillance practices, drawing out the disempowering effects of self-consciousness and shame in gendered subjectivity. The authors further consider the impact of universalist prescriptions for SRH within locales in the developing world, and the implications for SRH interventions with factory women migrant workers in such settings.

Empowering Former Women Migrant Workers: Enhancing Socio-Economic Opportunities and Inclusion for Sustainable Development

This research aims to design and implement participatory empowerment programs for former migrant workers, with a focus on non-formal socio-economic initiatives. Utilizing the Participatory Learning and Action (PLA) method in Cilacap Regency, Central Java Province, Indonesia, the study collected data through observations, dialogues, and Participatory Decision-Making (PDM). Purposive sampling involved selecting subjects from the village government, community leaders, and former women migrant workers belonging to entrepreneurial groups. The participatory analysis approach was used to identify, categorize, and prioritize essential and strategic initiatives. The research findings led to the development of non-formal education programs for former women migrant workers, aimed at fostering creativity and innovation in entrepreneurship, administrative management, digital accounting, product quality improvement, product innovation, labeling and packaging, and promotion management with digital marketing. Collaborative efforts between village and district governments, academics, and the community of former women migrant workers were emphasized in planning and implementing these creative socio-economic non-formal education programs. The programs were tailored to address the unique problems, needs, and local resources of the community of former women migrant workers, providing them with the knowledge, motivation, and skills to independently operate economic ventures and improve the well-being of their families.
 
 Received: 1 September 2023 / Accepted: 26 November 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024

Violence against women and its effects on mental health and quality of life: A study of Myanmar migrant workers in Central Thailand

BackgroundWomen migrant workers are vulnerable to violence. Violence against women is a pervasive public health problem, violates women's rights, and may adversely affect women's quality of life (QoL) and mental health. However, few studies have focused on this problem among migrant women workers from Myanmar. ObjectiveThis study aimed to use structural equation modeling to investigate the effect of violence against migrant women workers from Myanmar on their QoL and mental health. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional study of 378 migrant women workers from Myanmar in Central Thailand, conducted by multistage sampling. The authors collected the data through a face-to-face structured interview using standard questionnaires and then investigated the effects of violence on QoL and mental health mediated by social support while considering the effects of socioeconomic status on violence. ResultsMore than half the women had experienced violence within 12 months (58.7 %). Violence had a direct negative impact on their QoL and a direct positive association with mental health problems. Social support did not mediate these effects but did have a direct positive impact on QoL and a direct negative association with mental health problems. Socioeconomic status was directly affected by violence and had an indirect impact on QoL and mental health mediated by violence. ConclusionThe study raises awareness about violence's impact on the QoL and mental health of migrant women workers from Myanmar in Thailand. We highlight the urgent need for comprehensive initiatives to provide social support mechanisms and promote socioeconomic empowerment. Collaborative efforts among government, nongovernment organizations, and communities are crucial for ensuring legal protections and safe working conditions, with regular monitoring and evaluation to gauge effectiveness in preventing violence and promoting these women's QoL and mental health.

Building Women Migrant Workers’ Entrepreneurial Intention through Introducing Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Digital Marketing Literation

Promoting financial independence among migrant workers through digital-based entrepreneurship opportunities is a pressing concern for governments. Globalization exposes migrants to vulnerabilities, including economic, social, and legal hurdles. Empowering them with business opportunities via digital platforms offers a route to financial autonomy and improved living standards after completing their contract. This paper explores the advantages of fostering entrepreneurship opportunities among migrant workers in the digital era. The authors conducted applied research in Singapore, in collaboration with the Embassy of Indonesia and Nanyang Technology University, involving 130 women migrant workers. The program runs for 5 hours and is divided into 7 sessions encompassing various activities, such as educating on smart social media usage, enhancing financial literacy, and presenting entrepreneurial opportunities for cage-free hen farming with digital marketing strategies. While 81 participants responded to the post-program questionnaire, SPSS analysis supports our hypothesis except for the effects of entrepreneurial knowledge on entrepreneurial intentions. These results implied that digital marketing literacy and perceived behavioural control are essential in building entrepreneurial intention. We recommend educating digital marketing literacy and enabling women migrant workers with the entrepreneurial capability to build entrepreneurial intention.

Women migrant workers from the backward remote districts of West Bengal: life of utter miseries

Women migrant workers from the backward remote districts of West Bengal: life of utter miseries

Factors impacting HIV testing among young sexually active women migrant workers in Vietnamese industrial zones

BackgroundYoung migrant workers living in low- and middle-income countries often experience barriers and inadequate access to HIV prevention and treatment services. This study examines the prevalence of HIV testing, associated factors, and reasons for obtaining and not obtaining HIV testing among young sexually active women migrant workers in an industrial zone in Hanoi, Vietnam.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among 512 sexually active young women migrant workers (aged 18 to 29) working in the Thang Long industrial zone in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data was collected via a face-to-face interview from January 2020 to June 2021. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore factors associated with ever-testing for HIV among sexually active participants.ResultsThe study found a low level of HIV testing and high rates of unprotected sex. Among those who reported being sexually active, only 23.7% of participants (n = 126) reported having ever been tested for HIV. Among those who reported never having tested for HIV, 38.2% reported not using condoms during their most recent sexual encounter. Factors associated with engaging in HIV testing included being older (25–29 years), having greater knowledge about HIV, past use of sexual and reproductive health and HIV services, and familiarity with HIV testing locations.ConclusionsOverall, a low level of HIV testing, high rates of unprotected sex, and low perceived risks regarding HIV among the study participants point to a need to implement targeted HIV interventions that can improve both safe sex practices and perceptions of and knowledge about risky sexual behaviors. Such interventions should use insights from this study to address factors facilitating HIV testing among industrial zones’ women migrant workers.

‘The Pandemic Played a Cruel Joke on Us’: The vulnerabilities of Kyrgyz women migrant workers in Russia during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic affected various aspects of social and economic life across the world, with women and minorities especially bearing the brunt of its negative consequences. For Kyrgyz migrant women in Russia, this was further compounded by particularities of the low-wage or informal sectors where they worked. This article contributes to the scholarship on the impact of COVID-19 on migrant workers in destination countries. Drawing on data from 298 Kyrgyz women working in Russia, it explores women’s experiences with income, labour protections, freedom of movement, and violence in the workplace during the pandemic. It demonstrates that these experiences are caused by the intersection of gender and migration status. The article concludes with recommendations directed at the Kyrgyz government and civil society to improve the situation of Kyrgyz migrant women working in Russia.