MIGRANT WOMEN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS: A RIGHTS BASED

APPROACH FOR EMPOWERMENT

BY

Dr.R.BELINDA

Head of the Department

Department of Social Work, SFS

Madras Christian College

Chennai, South India

April 19, 2023

Structure of the Presentation

• Overview of Migration

• Statistics

• Rights Based Approach

• Research Methodology

• Main Findings

• RBA Model

• ConclusionApril 19, 2023

Migration is seen as a form of livelihood

portfolio diversification by families Rural-urban migration is on the rise, particularly from

underdeveloped remote areas and, has long been part of the livelihood portfolio of poor people across India. It is now recognised that migration is a part of the normal livelihood strategy of the poor and does not occur only

during times of emergency or distress.

‘Employment continues to be the main reason for Migration among people’

-Arjun Sengupta Report submitted to The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector, 2007

Statistics at the state level • Increase in decadal growth from 11.7 per cent in 1991-2001

to 15.6 per cent in 2001-11 but child population within the age of zero to six years constitutes 9.5 per cent (a decline from the 11 per cent in 2001)

• Kancheepuram -19.2 per cent in 1991-2001 to 38.7 per cent in 2001-11.

• The outer belts of chennai now consists of migrants from other states. The demographic changes require attention and policy changes.

• Among those migrating for work and employment purposes, long term/permanent migration (above 10 years) has the highest share

April 19, 2023

Problems faced by Migrant Women Construction Workers

Work life imbalancePay inequalities Invisibility as producers and earners Lack of Skill Frequent relocation Hard and long working hours Lack of basic facilities at workplace Lack of proper housing facilitiesIssues related to mother & child care Occupational hazards Risky working conditions Sexual harassment…..

RIGHTS BASED APPROACH• RBA integrates the norms, standards and principles of

the international human rights framework into policies and initiatives.

• It helps promote accountability, empowerment, participation and focuses on the inclusion and involvement of particularly vulnerable groups.

• This requires active involvement of the groups directly affected and social dialogue as a key instrument in pursuing human rights objectives, placing importance on both consultation with civil society and the participation of all stakeholders

April 19, 2023

RIGHTS BASED APPROACH

• The realization of human rights requires capacities at two levels:

(a.) Capacities for empowerment: right-holders need to strengthen their capacities to claim and exercise their rights effectively and

(b.) Capacities for accountability: stake holders need to understand the basic human rights of the rights holders and be accountable for their obligations.

April 19, 2023

Research Methodology• Field : 7 villages in Tiruporur block • Descriptive Research Design• Purposive Sampling• Universe - migrant women construction workers who

are married, living in the Tiruporrur block of Kanchipuram district,employed in construction of multi-storied buildings and it has been a minimum of two years since they migrated. They should also have children in the age group of 0-10 years.

• Sample Size – 350, 5 case studies, 2 FGD & 4 interview

• Tools –Case Studies, FGDs, Interviews and Interview Schedules

April 19, 2023

April 19, 2023

HR Violation by Discrimination • None of them owned a Ration Card.• None of them had a voter’s identification card.• Rice & groceries sold at higher rates. • Local schools did not admit the children of the migrant workers.• Migrant Women construction workers who perform similar work to

that of their male counterparts are paid lesser.

HR violation in Pay & Economic conditions• 62 % earn Rs.101-120 as their daily income.• Lesser pay than males doing same work.• Lesser pay than locals doing same work. • 72% don’t have any savings in bank/post office due to lack

of address proof. April 19, 2023

HR violations in Working & Living Conditions

• 68% work for 10 hours a day. • 64% are provided with safety

equipments.• 46% do not have first aid box,

54% have no toilet facilities, 68% have no resting place.

• 86% work over time and 74% don’t get paid for the OT.

• Live in squatter similar to slums, no electricity, water or toilet facilities, poor sanitation and drainage.

• A house is 10X10 no windows, one room & a max of 6 people.

April 19, 2023

HR violations in Mother & Child Care• 69% don’t get enough time to

spend with their children.• 39% take their child to the

workplace. • 56% children have skin problems. • 67% use home remedies to cure

their child’s sickness.• 59% stopped working one month

before delivery.• No maternity benefit at all.• 75% have brought their children to

the workplace immediately after rejoining work.

• 42% have missed many immunization for their child.

•

April 19, 2023

HR Violations in Occupational Health• 75% have skin problems (Occupational hazard).

• 60% work in heights without any safety equipments.•38% have met with accident during work. • 17% accident they had met was that injury because of falling of weights. •30% met with the medical expenses at the time of accident at the workplace by themselves.

HR Violations in Sexual Harassment , Labour Compliances and Association54 % faced sexual harassment at workplace.

35% sexually harassed by the mason for removal from job.

24% told their husband/family. 39% have been sexually harassed at work place.

RBA model for Migrant Women Construction Workers

April 19, 2023

RECOMMENDATIONS • Intervention of GOs, NGOs, Social Workers• Empowerment of the Migrant Women Construction

Workers by educating them about their rights, mother & child care, health, hygiene & nutrition and occupational hazards.

• Legislations should be stringent and fool proof • Emphasis on employers/ contractors, registering/

licensing & following rules.

ALL THIS & MORE CAN BE ACHIEVED BY DOING SOCIAL WORK INTERVENTION FOR MIGRANT WOMEN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS USING THE RIGHTS BASED APPROACH!

• .

April 19, 2023

ConclusionSocial Workers need to carry out advocacy initiatives with policy makers and communities, design comprehensive community based prevention and intervention programmes and work with these migrant women construction workers at the individual, group and community level to help them cope with issues and

‘survive even amidst the adversity’.

Thank You for your Attention!