¹Navas M. Khadar, ²Anjali J,³Bijulal M.V

¹Project Associate, Government of India -ANRF-SERB Project Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
²Research Intern, Centre for Migration Policy and Inclusive Governance Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam
³Assistant Professor & Principal Investigator SERB Project School of International Relations and Politics Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam

DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i06-42

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ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

Feminisation of Labour, Women Migration, Intersectionality, Human Rights, Kerala.

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Volume 07 Issue 06 June 2024