Term Paper on

MIGRANT WOMEN AND THEIR LIVELIHOOD FRAME WORK IN DHAKA CITY: A CASE STUDY ON T&T SLUM

Chapter | Page no. | 1. Introduction | 4 | 2. Methodology | | 2.1 Focus Group | 5 | 2.2 Group Size | 5 | 2.3 Data Collection | 6 | 2.4 Data Analysis 2.5 Limitation | 6 7 | 3. Findings And Analysis | 7 | 3.1 Reasons Of Migration | 7 | 3.2 Way Of Earning | 9 | 3.3 Obstacles | 10 | 3.4 Family | 12 | 3.5 Earning And Spending | 12 | 3.6 Support | 14 | 3.7 Satisfaction | 15 | Conclusion | 16 |

TITLE:

MIGRANT WOMEN AND THEIR LIVELIHOOD FRAME WORK IN DHAKA CITY: A CASE STUDY ON T&T SLUM

Abstract

The main objective of this paper is to analyze the process of adjustment by poor female

migrants coming to Dhaka in terms of their economic motives such as their plans to work,

occupational involvement, work satisfaction, income earned, control over income and their roles

in the family economy. The influence of occupation on migrant females’ urban adaptation is also

discussed.

1.INTRODUCTION

Dhaka is one of the world’s fastest growing large cities. In Bangladesh, landlessness and the

modernization of the agricultural system, frequent natural calamities, as well as prevailing

poverty and the scarcity of work in the villages forced many women and their families to migrate

to the cities. The movement of entire poor nuclear families to the city opened up new

opportunities for women to enter the cash-earning economy and to contribute to family income.

Poor women’s participation in Dhaka’s informal economy is crucial to the survival of most of

the poor households living in the slums and squatter areas of the city. Within nuclear families,

very often, the household head’s income is not sufficient to maintain the entire family in the city.

Hence, women have little choice but to involve themselves in some kind of income-earning

work, and this work has a vital role in the initial stages of urban adaptation.

The paper is based on the findings of a survey which focused on poor women living in the slums

and squatter areas of the city. It has been noted that women in many Third World countries move

to the cities because rural employment opportunities have declined steadily with the introduction

of modern modes of production and there are greater prospects for female employment in the

cities than in the villages. Bangladeshi women lagged behind in migration streams because of

social customs and the stigma attached to women moving independently. In recent years, the

modernization of the agricultural system and the static work situation in the villages, persistent

poverty and regular natural disasters have forced women to migrate to the cities with their

families as well as independently.

In this paper, a number of people was interviewed on employment opportunities for migrant

women in slum areas in Dhaka city.

2. Methodology
2.1 Focus group:
A focus group is 'a small group discussion focused on a particular topic and facilitated by a researcher' (Tonkiss, 2004: 194).In our survey we have interviewed poor women aged 18 to 40 who were migrated to Dhaka city from their native village for their financial development.

2.2 Group size:
We divided all the women into 2 groups. One of those groups consisted women aged from 18 to
25 and the another group consisted women aged from 26 to 40.

2.3 Data collection:
In our survey we mainly focused on those migrated women who have come to Dhaka city for finding more employment opportunities for the betterment of their life. Moreover, we have tried to focus more on those women who are migrated by their own and living here. Also it is observed that their dream of having a better life with financial efficiency is fulfilled or not. By their age we individually interviewed over their problems, obstacles and satisfaction on their employment. Here , we have divided our data group into two categories, one is ‘Migrated young women’ age between 18-25 and ‘Migrated elder women’ age between 26-40.
Survey field was a slum near Banani area of Dhaka city. The member of our group has interviewed individually. All of the group members tried to cover all the questionnaire with those women who were selected.

2.4 Data analysis:
We have analyzed all the data’s by using thematic analysis, which is focused by some theme. “ A theme, is a pattern found in the information that at minimum describes and organizes the possible observation and at maximum interprets aspects of the phenomenon. A theme may be identified at the manifest level (directly observable information) or at the latent level (underlying the phenomenon)”-Boyatzis(1998:4)
By focusing each of the theme we have analyzed the main problems of general migrated women.
As well as their thoughts, dreams and ambitions were also reflected. Their livelihood satisfaction and dissatisfaction were also noted. This thematic analysis helped us to find the major causes of their migration and their existing situation of life.
Before going to the details, we want to assure respective reader that in this paper the data with quotes from individual participants has been presented. By using this way more valid reasons

are presented. All the discussions are presented by ‘MYW focus group’ for the migrated young women and ‘MEW focus group’ to refer the migrated elder women.

2.5 Limitation:
Our limitation on this study was we have focused on those participants who live within one area.
Most of them have similar problems and their work places were mostly same. So, our survey basically represents data’s from a limited source.

3. Findings And Analysis
We have analyzed our survey in 7 different themes and those are Reason of migration, Way of earning, Obstacles, Family, Support, Earning and spending and
Satisfaction. These all themes are depended on the interviewed part from the migrant women. Having migrated young women group and migrated elder women group in common we have tried to describe our study.

3.1 Reasons of Migration:
From the two groups of poor migrated women, the reason of their migration to the city was asked and their reasons were not that much same. But the circumstances behind their migration indicate to their need of financial improvement. Here, the migrated young women were more willing for the migration process, than the elder ones.
For instance, from the Migrated Young Women(MYW) group, Salma Khatun (18) & Beauty
Aktar(21) says-

Salma:
I came here from Netrokona. My father was trapped by one of our relatives and he dispossessed all our lands. So, me & my father came here to work and earn our livelihood.

Beauty:
I lived in Munshiganj. Our family is pretty large. We are 7 siblings and we also have our grandmother who lives with us. My father is very poor to feed all of us. That’s why me and my elder sister were sent to Dhaka city for household work purpose 2 years ago. But that job didn’t fit us that much. So, we left that place and now we both are working in a garments factory.
Among the Migrated Elder Women(MEW) group,Fatema Begum(29) & Hasna Banu(39) say-
Fatema:
I am from Chandpur. My husband was a bus driver in Chandpur. He died 3 years ago, by a Road accident. After that incident, me & my children, we came to Dhaka for living.
Hasna:
We, me and my husband, lived in Tangail, with my elder son. My husband is not physically fit. He has lost one of his hands, while working in the factory.So,our elder son was feeding us. But some days before, my daughter-in-law started to quarrel with me and my husband. She was not willing to live with us. She told my son, that she will live him, if we don’t leave their house. So,me and my husband left them. Now we are settled here & working together for our livelihood.
So,here we can see,their reasons are different. But all of them are in search of better lifestyle and opportunities.

3.2 Way of Earning:
Though all the migrated women are working hard for their livelihood, there working fields are not the same.They are working in several fields according to their age and ability.The amounts of their wages are also not the same.
According to the MYW group member, Khadija Akhter(21),& Rokeya Khatun(19),their earning way is given here-
Khadija:
I am working in a garment factory, at the button sector.I am working here from morning till night. But the salary is not perfect for me. My per month income is very low, only 5 thousand taka. It’s not enough for a girl to live in Dhaka city.
Rokeya:
After coming to Dhaka city,I took a job in a garments factory. But there, I faced so many problem, so I left that. Now I am working in a super shop, as the cleaner. Beside this,I am preparing hand made handkerchiefs at the night & sell them. From both of the sectors,I am earning pretty well. In total 6000 taka per month and its enough for me.
On the other hand,the MEW group members gave a different view. For example, Mahmuda
Begum(36) & Mina akter(40) say-
Mahmuda:
I work in a brickfield. I usually carry the ingredients & bricks on my head. It’s a painful work.
Often my nerve system falls & I feel really sick. But there’s nothing to do with that. I have to do this work for my livelihood. By this work, I get 150 taka daily, which is not sufficient enough for my family.

Mina:
I work in 3 houses everyday. I do the household chores there. Everyday at the very morning, I go to 1 house, make their Breakfast and wash all the dirty clothes. Then I go to another house and there I sweep the whole house and wash all the clothes. And at the final house, I sweep the house, wash the clothes, iron the clothes if necessary, wash the plates after they had taken their lunch and all the work that they need to be done till the afternoon. They gives me lunch everyday and sometimes they gives foods for my son also. From the first and second house, I earn 1000 taka per month, and from the third house, I get 1500 taka per month.

So, here we can see that age difference has a significant importance at the work field of the poor migrated women. But it is obvious, that they all are giving very hard labour at their own working field, for their existence in the city.

3.3 Obstacles:
Both the MYW and MEW group members are facing several kind of problems and obstacles in their new lifestyle at Dhaka city. The obstacles can be divided into 3 groups. Obstacles in the family, obstacles in the working field and obstacles in the living place. From their experience, this obstacles are described here.
From the MYW group,Rohima aktar(22) and Moina begum(18) say-
Rohima:
I am a garment worker. And for a young women garment worker, sexual harassment is the most common problem. For this type of incidences, I have left the work of three garment factories in

this two years. If you are good looking, it will be a curse for you here. So, I have to remain concerned for all the times at my working place. And at my living place, I don’t face any kind of problem at all. I live with my elder sister and the house holder is really helpful to both of us. My family is also very supportive. I don’t face any obstacles from my family.
Moina:
I am working in a house as a maid, where I stay from dawn till the afternoon. The house mistress is always good with me. I am working there since the last 1.5 years. They trust me a lot.
So, I am not facing any kind of problem here. But at my house, I am facing some problems. Like, where I live in, is a slum area, which is very unhygienic. And we are in total 6 members in our family, living in a single congested room. So, it is really a painful side of our lifestyle in Dhaka city. On the other hand, the MEW group member Nurjahan(33) and LAili Begum(40) say-
Nurjahan:
I am working in a garment factory near our slum area. Before this, I worked in an another garment factory which was not so close to my house. And the most important thing is, I faced sexual harassment problem there. So I left that factory 3 years ago and then joined this one.
Here the salary is not that much good, but the environment is safe and comfortable. So I feel relaxed here. But in the slum, I don’t. because there lives some drug addicts beside us and sometimes they start taking drugs and fighting under the open sky, infront of all. Sometimes which causes police visit to our slum also. So, because of them, we always feel insecure here.
Laili:
I work in 4 houses as a non-permanent maid. Though the works are not that much difficult, but as I am not so healthy and fit, sometimes I feel sick while doing the household chores. Besides, I

have some problems in my family also. My elder son is a well known mobster of our slum. So often he quarrels and fights with the opposite parties and gets injured badly. It is ruining our happiness of life. The house holder is also giving me notice about that and he is threatening that if my son is not going to stop this, he will remove us from the slum. So, I am really facing a vital problem here, in Dhaka city.
Here, the MYW and the MEW grouped women are facing some obstacles where we can find some similarities and some dissimilarities also. Like, sexual harassment is a common issue for both of the groups. And they are facing problems in their family and living place too, which is a strong obstacle for them to improve their condition.

3.4 Family:
At one stage of our survey, we asked them about their family members and they cordially co- operated with us. Of them some lived there alone and some of them lived with their family.
For example, Mukti Begum(34), Mina Begum(40) & Hina Banu(23) says-

Mukti: I live with my family. And my family consists of six members. I live with my husband and my four children. My husband works in a garment factory and my two elder sons drive rickshaw.
My other two daughters are very young. My family doesn’t depend on my income as my husband and my sons also work.
Mina:
I stay in my in laws house. My husband is a taxi driver and I have two kittle kids. My father-in- law died last year. My husband and I both try to support our family.

Hina: I stay with my husband, my old mother-in law and my kids. My husband had an accident last week and due to lack of medical service we can not take him to a good doctor. So my family is fully dependent on me.

3.5 Earning & Spending:

Though it is well known to us, about the income of these people, still we asked them these questions. We all have a slight idea what they might get.
For example, Fatema Begum(29), Salma aktar (24), Eti Begum(36) says-
Fatema:
I don’t get enough to support my family. I have to work all day long just for a little money and my family hardly can live with it. I get nearly 150 taka per day which is not at all satisfactory.
Salma:
My work place gives me good money with which I can support my family. My family doesn’t only depend on my income. My husband also works. My work place gives me 100 taka per day.
And I am quite happy with it.
Eti:
I get 100 taka per day and I can hardly support my family. I have a big family and my income is not enough for me. And I am really frustrated with it. I can not take it anymore.

3.6 Support:

When we went to survey about the livelihood and the support of the Migrated Young Women and the Migrated Elder Women gets, they stated that sometimes they get support from their family and as well from their work place but in most cases they do not get any support. They had to struggle even still now they are struggling for their livelihood.
For example, Sanjida Khatun(28),Mahmuda Begum(36) & Layla aktar (19) says-
Sanjida:
There are many problems we faced and still we are facing. In our living place we don’t get enough facilities from the landlord. We don’t get water, gas and other things properly. And about the financial support I do get it from my owner but I literally don’t get any support from my family. Besides financial help I get other facilities like- insurance, bonus in occasions and leaves when I need it. I am happy with my working place.
Mahmuda:
In my living place I also face the problems that Khadija faces. And about my working place, I will say that I literally don’t get any support. I just get my wages. Sometimes I don’t get that even.
We are always neglected.
Layla:
I am not facing that much of problems as the other does. And I really don’t want to talk about my working place.

3.7 Satisfaction:
In this part we asked them about their satisfaction and they replied us well. They should their gracefulness towards the owners as well as they showed their anger towards them.
For example, Nurjahan Ara(33), Bedana Begum(37) & Rokeya Aktar(21) says-
Nurjahan:
I am happy with my present condition and I am comfortable with it. Now I get a better salary and I can at least support my family financially which I couldn’t get in my past condition. Bedana: I think that my past condition was more satisfactory and more comfortable than my present job. Now I don’t have that much time to spend with my family. I have to work in overtime to get extra wages because my original wage is not enough for me. I can barely support my family.
Rokeya:
My present condition is good enough and I am satisfied with it. Now I feel much comfortable than before. I didn’t have any source of income. But now at least I am getting some salary to support my family though it is a bit low.

Conclusion:
Despite the fact that most women’s migration is part of family migration, there are strong

indications in the research data that a large majority of women possessed economic motives. As

for men, female migration often has economic underpinnings, particularly in the case of the poor.

Migrant women show their ability to cope with the economic situation of the city and are

prepared to wait for some time to find work and to exert their own efforts in this respect where

possible. Although the jobs migrant women hold at the lowest level of urban occupational

structure in terms of status and income, and fall into the informal economy, a large majority of

women appear to be satisfied with this. Many of the women changed their job, at least once, but

without a frequent change in their occupation, so occupational mobility among the female

migrants interviewed is almost non-existent.

When female migrants change their work, a considerable proportion of them have to do so to

meet family demands and needs. Many of them changed jobs in search of a better income.

The females who are involved in home based family activities do not have

access to their earnings since male members of the family deal with the cash transactions. They

are thus dependent on men and subject to deprivation and subordination, and the income which

the respondents receive goes mainly into the family pool. In conclusion, it can be said that

women are important contributors to the family income and that without it, poor families could

not survive in the city.

REFERENCE

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks: Sage.