Geographical analysis

Abstract

Emigration is the relocation of the people from one country to another. In last two decades or so, increased number of woman migrants has gone abroad. In India, female migration is closely interconnected with the male migration indicating that women accompany men after marriage. In Goa, migration of women to industrialized developed countries and the Middle East countries is on the rise mostly to the United Kingdom followed by the countries of Middle East. The study was conducted to determine emigration of women and its impact on the life of their families left behind in Usgao village of Dharbandora Taluka of Goa. The study is carried out using primary data obtained from administration of questionnaires and personal interviews supplemented by secondary data. Women emigration has prevailed in the age group of 20- 45 years, which comprises of both married and unmarried woman. Low wages in the home country and the demand for female labour in the foreign countries offering high wages are the main push and pull factors of international migration of women from the study area. Women emigration has added income level of the family and has enhanced the standard of living among the emigrating families. It has left its drawbacks such as emigration of women has made the life of the children and the elderly members of the family difficult as the migrant women used to take care of all the members of the family in general and children and elderly in particular in addition, they were handling all the household affairs of the family. Emigration of women thus, has increased women’s access to economic resources and has improved their autonomy and status but its negative impact on the families is significant.

Keywords: women migration; emigration; remittances; better standard of living; emotion