Hesperian Health Guides

Migration

In this chapter:

Many people have to leave their homes to find work. Some travel daily from home to work, while others have moved many miles to live near work. This is called “migration.”

a woman carrying baggage after getting off a bus

Remember that everyone feels alone at first. This is natural.

Most often, women move from rural areas to cities where big factories offer jobs, or where they can get jobs as domestic workers. Some choose to move, but others are forced to move because there is no food or work at home, or because they are not accepted there, or because factories offer more money. Often the money they make is very important for supporting their families back home.

Migrating may be the first time you have been alone. It can be frightening to be away from the family and friends who gave you support.

Here are a few things you can do to make yourself feel more comfortable in a new home:

a group of women walking together on a sidewalk while another woman walks away alone

Avoid dangerous situations like walking home alone at night
  • Make friends with other workers. They can become a new source of support.
  • Find a safe place to live. Many companies run their own hostels. Some are safe, but many are not. Sometimes they are expensive or crowded or have poor conditions. The company may also take advantage of women who have no control over where they live.


Sometimes the only way to get safe housing is to find it yourself. Here is an example of a woman’s group that organized for safe housing:

Women who work making clothes in factories in Dhaka, Bangladesh, became tired of their poor, unhealthy living conditions, where they were often sexually harassed and abused. With help from a woman with management experience, they set up 2 hostels. Now the workers pay part of their wages to the hostel. In return, the staff, who are all women, provide food, cooking utensils, blankets, clothing, and other help. The workers are safe and close to work, and are able to save more of their wages. —Bangladesh


This page was updated:13 Nov 2023