GENDER AND REMITTANCES OF FEMALE MIGRANT WORKERS IN A GARMENT FACTORY IN THE HLAING THA YAR INDUSTRIAL ZONE, YANGON, MYANMAR

Abstract

In a developing country like Myanmar and its booming industrialization, women independently migrate to the city with fewer restrictions on social concerns and cultural norms. One particular aspect of this research looks at how these female migrants manage to send their remittances amidst varied family norms in diverse socio-cultural contexts and hierarchical structures. This study utilized a qualitative research approach to examine the twenty-seven migrant women subjects working in a garment factory. All participants joined in a series of focus-group discussions and further selected seven individuals from this group for an in-depth semi-structured interview in their residences in the greater Yangon area. The findings illustrated in this article are descriptions of how female migrants practice gender remittances and their behavior under Myanmar’s transformative patriarchal society. The results unveiled that female migrants’ conception of sending remittances were interrelated with cultural practices and filial responsibilities in a gender- stratified society. Despite the lingering influences of the patriarchal structure, the economic significance of these women migrants back home empowers them considerably. Apart from their remittances, this article also investigates the factors motivating migrant women to find job opportunities in industrialized urban areas.

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