Feminization, vulnerability, and empowerment of Laotian migrant women in Thailand

Abstract

This thesis examines the feminization of large-scale, cross-border labour migration of Laotian women who migrate to Thailand for work, and aims to effect useful labour migration policy changes for all migrant women working in Thailand, using Laotian migrant women as a case study. This thesis explicates the feminization process and its gendered implications on Laotian migrant women’s vulnerability working in feminized work sectors in Thailand, using the main concepts of feminization of migration, vulnerability, and gender empowerment. This thesis focuses on qualitative research design, using structured qualitative interviews with 11 Laotian migrant women in domestic work, agricultural work, services work, and garment factory work, and semi-structured qualitative interviews with 13 key informants, namely employers, migrant network leaders, academics and experts in the field of migration. This thesis argues that Laotian migrant women are made vulnerable as they are subjected to gender discrimination in feminized work sectors. They are made more vulnerable when they work in feminized work sectors that are also informal work, in addition to their illegal migrant status, the unofficial way in which they entered Thailand, and the type of documentation which they brought to Thailand. Their vulnerability heightens when they are pregnant and lack access to maternity and childcare. This thesis concludes that Laotian migrant women in agricultural work and domestic work are the most vulnerable. Hence, Laotian migrant women in the four work sectors experience different degrees of gender empowerment, with the most vulnerable groups as being the least empowered as women. This thesis posits that it is important to further empower Laotian migrant women and reduce their vulnerability through multiple stakeholder collaboration with employers, migrant network leaders, academics, experts, and representatives of civil society and international organizations. This serves as a first step in advancing Laotian migrant women’s cross-border mobility and enables them to be better protected in terms of labour rights and policy as migrant women.