Recounting her side of the Migration Story

Aajeevika Bureau An institutional response to the high incidence of migration among the rural poor. It seeks to provide comprehensive services to help reduce hardship for migrants and render migration into a more positive opportunity Established in 2005 Direct Operations in Rajasthan and Gujarat

Internal Migration in India Source: Indian Express Seasonal migration for livelihood a pervasive reality Main exit from poverty Principal and preferred means of labour recruitment Uncounted Facing multiple perils –loss of identity, entitlements and more Women further hidden, missing from the migration discourse

Women in the migrant labour market 12 % of the migrant workforce in Rajasthan Employed in construction, agriculture, brick-kilns, mining, & domestic work Only manual work 94 % intra-state, 54 % SC-ST Low on education and skill, upward mobility highly limited Face significant wage discrimination (Rs. 135/242 for male workers) Poor access to basic amenities & healthcare

A Trend to note ! Women as commuter labour In construction sector, as daily wage laborer Two age brackets (18-20) or 30 plus. Travel km daily by bus hour work-days Irregular work, low wages, frequent abuse, harassment Poor facilities at labor nakas

Scattered farm habitations and unfamiliar social setting leads to isolation & poor access to health care As per AB survey in Idar farms, 30% women pregnant, but without ANC; No access to JSY, institutional delivery facilities, return to the source Compromised access to healthcare

Families back home Women fending for family, managing household chores Erratic cash flows, serious cash deficits Compromised access to public entitlements and resources Bearing increased health burden

Registration and Photo ID serviceSkill Training and PlacementLegal Aid and CounselingWorker Collectivization & AdvocacyFinancial Services and Social SecuritySupport services for migrants in citiesFamily Empowerment Program 2 states, 9 districts, 8 centers Migration Services & Solutions offered by Aajeevika

Enabling Entitlements & strengthening support systems 119 groups, 3865 families linked through the initiative, 9431 government service linkages (PDS, MGNREGS, Pension and more), 5787 health linkages

Skilling them up!

Promoting Women Worker Collectives Workers from construction, mining, brick-kiln and farms Awareness on minimum wages, labor rights Social security linkages and skill up-gradation

Reaching out to women in migrant HHs… Difficult to reach out to – identity subsumed under male companion’s Occupational niches are highly gendered making shift in skills for women difficult Paucity of models/services pertinent to their needs Large number of commuters – require safe transportation, social support and day care facilities for children at home Welfare mechanisms at Panchayat require special efforts to reach to women from migrant HHs

Aajeevika Bureau THANK YOU Aajeevika Bureau, 2, Paneri Upvan, Street no: 3, Bedla road, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Ph: Aajeevika is an institutional response to the high incidence of migration among the rural poor. It seeks to provide comprehensive services to help reduce hardship for migrants and their families and render migration into a more positive opportunity. The organization was established in 2005 and is based in Udaipur, Rajasthan. It works in the Southern Rajasthan- Gujarat migration corridor, and runs walk-in resource centers called Shramik Sahayata evam Sandarbha Kendras which offer a wide range of services to migrant workers and their families. 2 states, 8 centers