Documenting the Undocumented : Female Migrant Workers from Bangladesh

Official figures on female migrant workers from Bangladesh are incredibly low and, most agree, misleading. Periodic restrictions imposed by the government on women taking certain types of Jobs in foreign countries along with social norms that reprove women’s independent movement have pushed their migration underground. Micro level studies have documented cross-border female labour migration from the country but, for lack of credible national data, a broader perspective cannot be achieved. This book is an endeavour to fill in this important research gap. it maps out the cross-border labour migration of women from Bangladesh, and devises a suitable sampling and survey method by taking into consideration the uneven distribution of female migrant workers across the country. It then administers a nationwide survey to capture both regular and irregular migration and measures women’s importance in absolute numbers as well as in relation to men.

This research constitutes an essential base for further research. It gives women visibility as migrants and as workers. The substantial number of female workers unveiled in this study calls for, amongst others, gender sensitization of foreign missions and agencies dealing with labour and manpower exporting and policies, careful analysis of policy and institutional streamlining affecting migration and remittance, and provision of investment and health related support to women returnees.

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