Author(s): Mousumi Gorai
Abstract:
Migration has remained a persistent and defining feature of rural livelihoods in the drought-prone and economically marginalized district of Bankura in West Bengal. Since the mid-1970s, recurrent environmental stress, declining agricultural productivity, and limited non-farm employment opportunities have compelled households to adopt migration as a crucial survival strategy. While early patterns of migration were predominantly male-oriented, the gradual feminisation of migration has significantly altered the socio-economic landscape of the region. Women, who were once largely confined to domestic spaces and subsistence agriculture, have increasingly emerged as active participants in both seasonal and long-term migration streams, as well as primary managers of households in the absence of male members. This study examines the long-term impact of migration on women’s lives in Bankura district over the period 1974 to 2025, with a focus on the interrelated dimensions of economic participation, social transformation, health, and psychological well-being. Drawing upon a qualitative and historical analysis of secondary sources, the paper traces how migration has simultaneously expanded opportunities and deepened vulnerabilities for women. On one hand, it has enabled greater income contribution, exposure to external socio-cultural environments, and a gradual shift in traditional gender roles, thereby fostering elements of agency and empowerment. On the other hand, women’s engagement with migration—often within informal and unregulated labour markets such as brick kilns, construction sites, and agricultural fields—has exposed them to exploitative working conditions, wage disparities, health risks, and social insecurity.
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