La Strada Documentation Center

Women, Mobility and Reproductive Health. The Assessment of the Circumstances of Mobility and Reproductive Health Needs Among Women Migrant Workers in Thailand

Document number
1299
Date
2007
Title
Women, Mobility and Reproductive Health. The Assessment of the Circumstances of Mobility and Reproductive Health Needs Among Women Migrant Workers in Thailand
Author/publisher
Global Alliance Against Traffick in Women (GAATW)
Availability
View/save PDF version of this document
Document type(s)
Research/Study/Analysis,
Keywords
Irregular Migration, Feminization of migration, Economic migration, Labour migration, Free movement, Undocumented migrants; Undocumented labour; Sexual exploitation, HIV/AIDS
Summary
The health conditions and mobility patterns of female migrant workers are subjects that sit at the crossroads of multiple pressing issues, best understood in the context of social, economic and political disparities in the global landscape. Remaining outside of legally protected industries, women migrant workers are isolated from mainstream labor and social and health protection policies. The vulnerability of migrants, in this case women from Laos, Burma and Cambodia, is accentuated by one or more of the following reasons: inability to communicate in the dominant language, rapid changes in domestic and international migration policies, and facing discrimination on a routine basis. In addition, migration patterns of women are often affected by gendered occupational demands. This research focuses on domestic, factory and sex work – all ofwhich are typically underpaid, characterized by poor working conditions with little or no protection from the state. The comprehensive mapping of the occupational lives of migrant women realized through both qualitative and quantitative research frames the discussion on how occupational demands impact on the general and reproductive health of migrant women. The analysis and findings of this research are meant to provide information and support to Thailand’s national HIV/AIDS control program for a more sensitive and responsive implementation of their outreach operations. In addition, these are also meant to inform the practice of policy makers, health care providers, and organizations working with migrant women. In view of the findings of this project, researchers have made some important recommendations for policy makers, health care providers and organizations that work with migrant women. Government and policy makers should provide legal status to migrants by liberalizing migration policies. There should also be a clear formulation and enforcement of labor protection policies vis-à-vis work hours, fair wages and safety measures especially in domestic work, the sex sector and home-based work. Making safe abortions available to women and providing awareness about preventive strategies to bring down unwanted pregnancies is yet another recommendation made.
Related documents