Feminization of International Migration in South Asia:

Existing Challenges and their Prospective Solutions

Presented by: (a) Dr. S.I. Humayun, Assistant Professor, Center for South Asian Studies,

Pondicherry University, Puducherry, India.

(b) Santa Islam, Senior Programme Officer, WARBE Development Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Seminar On:- South Asia in Transition: Perspectives on Geo-Politics and Regional Cooperation
 Moot Points
● Importance of International Migration for South Asia
● Feminization of International Migration in South Asia
● Present Scenario: Destination countries, employment, income
● Existing Challenges
● Prospective Solutions
Importance of International Migration for South Asia

● 15% of total migrant workers of the world are from South and Southeast
Asia
● South Asian countries sent annually 46-71,000 workers (on average) to
the overseas in between 2012-2017
● Potential benefits: human capital, poverty alleviation, job source
● In South Asia remittance constitutes 6-30% of GDP
Feminization of International Migration in South Asia

● The term feminisation of migration is used to capture the changing pattern of

female migration flows
● Most of the female migrants are either the low skilled or semi-skilled
category
● Migrants represents 2.9% of world population
● The proportion of women in the migrant labour force rose from roughly 15%
in the 1970s to over 50% in many countries by 1996
● Women tend to send back a greater portion of their earnings
Present Scenario: Destination countries, employment, income

● Gulf Countries and North America

● Oil boom to construction boom
● Low skilled and semi skilled job, domestic workers, garments workers
● Average costs of migration is equivalent to 6-12 months wages at the
destinations
 Existing Challenges

● High costs of migration

● Risks of safety and welfare
● Non-cooperation of sending countries
● Questionable human rights standards of the receiving countries
● Lack of policy level development
● Irregular migration and human trafficking
 Prospective Solutions

● Strong political will of sending countries

● Reviewing existing policy/legal mechanisms
● Ensuring safe and orderly migration
● Skill development of potential migrants
● Proper documentation
● Cooperation among South Asian countries
● Developing negotiating tools
● Searching new destinations
Thank You!!