An article published in the Indian Express highlighted the findings of a recent UN report which detailed the dynamics of India’s ongoing urban revolution. While the population in India’s towns and cities is expected to reach 600 million by 2031, an important but overlooked fact is that women form 70% of internal migration.
Due to export-oriented economic growth leading to more demand for female labour, the proportion of Indian women migrating to cities for work has grown exponentially by 101% between 2010-11, which is more than double the rate for men, according to an IndiaSpend analysis.
In a related context of the unique issues facing migrant women workers such as lack of recognition, low pay, and inhuman work conditions, a study by Cividep India on Occupational Health risks faced by Bangalore’s garment worker women also found mention – “garment workers in Bengaluru, comprising 90 per cent women migrants, often suffer from “respiratory illness, tuberculosis, ergonomic problems like back pain, mental health problems such as depression… and reproductive health issues such as white discharge, irregular periods and excessive bleeding”.
Read the entire piece here.