DISTRESS MIGRATION AND “LEFT BEHIND” WOMEN: A Study of Rural Bihar

In poor economies of Asia, Africa and Latin America, migration is adopted as a family survival strategy in which rural youth join the migration stream leaving their families behind in the villages. The state of Bihar in India is a case in point where poverty-driven ‘male only’ migration without family is a predominant feature.

Studying the left behind families of migrants in rural areas of Bihar, this book tries to analyse the pattern, motivation and impact of migration in holistic manner, keeping the ‘left behind’ women in its centre. Initially, author has explored the linkage between poverty, migration and development by probing various facets like: Who migrate and what make them to migrate? What is the spatial manifestation of development on migration pattern? What is the role of remittances in bringing about economic well-being, social well-being and physical well-being of the left behind families? Later on, the author raises issues that after migration of males, what are the gains and pains to left behind wives, how do they feel and cope up with the situations and circumstances created by such migration, particularly when they are living in a traditional society, what happens if migrant husband carries STDs or develops a parallel family at the place of destinations and so on. Altogether, some interesting features have emerged when the left behind wives have been compared with wives of non-migrants of same locality taking them as control group.

This book would be of cardinal interest to both researchers and students working in the field of poverty, migration and development, gender perspective of migration problems, migration and spread of STDs and HIV/AIDS, health of rural women etc.