From the Life Stories of Filipino Women: Personal and Family Agendas in Migration

By: Maruja M. B. Asis

Facts and Figures

60%-80% of all legal women migrants came from Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

Filipino women migrants usual work:

Factors that makes migration possible:

Lack of economic opportunities in the Philippines. The state, migration industry and migrant networks have laid down the groundwork and process of migration. Filipino communities and institutions have been recreated in some countries of destination. There were changes in institutions, social relations, and norms in communities.

The Survey and the Life Story Approach

The life stories is a part of the Philippine component of a study of female labor migration in Southeast Asia in 1999-2000. 10 life stories participants were selected from 100 women who were interviewed in the survey conducted between April and June 2000. Most of the interviews took place from July to December 2000. The age of the participants are 23-52. They differed in marital statuses. Their overseas experience is from 4-16 years. The limit is for Metro Manila residents only.

The Findings

Women migration raised questions of the place of the individual in the family. 8 out of 10 participants worked abroad to improve the economic well-being of their families. The desire to help families is also a reason for unmarried women to go abroad.

The Decision-making

The economic vulnerablility of their families was very prominent in the women's decision to work abroad. It was the women who took the initiative to go abroad and mostly their family supported their decision. Women had to persuade their families or even risk going against their family's wishes.

The Family and the Individual's Interest

Most women considered migration not so much for personal ends but for the familys well-being. Womens migration can be seen as the meshing of individual and family aspirations rather than the imposition of the familys interest over the womens. If the family decided on the behalf of the women, migration was seen more as a disciplinary measure.

Emotional Impact to the Family

Leaving and being away from their families was felt more by women who had children left behind than the unmarried migrants. The children's future was often the object of their migration, they also considered how the children would fare in their absence. The pain of separation and anxieties about their children were eased by the fact that the children were past pre-school age, they had trained and guided them, and the availability of other family members who would look after the children.

Emotional Impact to the Family

The mothers departure was also felt deeply by the children left behind. Mothers alluded that they been missing out the ordinary details of their children's lives. There are many children who had grown up and grown apart from their mothers. Most of the migrants try their best to win the affection of their children.

Emotional Impact to the Family

The women bridged the distance through phone calls and letters, prayers and yearly visits.

Emotional Impact to the Family

Changes in husband-wife relationships did not surface as much as issues dealing with mother-child relationships. Husbands with insecurities think that:

Their wife may not able to adjust on the Philippines Their wife have an affair in other countries

Dealing with relationships abroad

Working abroad pave way for formation of less traditional families. The prospect of single parenthood is more real for women migrant who bear children and become responsible for their upbringing.

Economic support

To provide financial support to their families, women migrants concentrated on their work abroad. They try their best to keep their jobs as well as looking out for opportunities to maximize their earnings and resorting to various cost-cutting measures.

Problems encountered

Long working hours Adjusting to the eccentricities and demands of their employers Harassment or extreme maltreatment Being locked down by their employers Being suspected of dishonesty Not having enough food. Back breaking schedules High quotas

Impacts of migration

Women almost always considered how migration has uplifted their families.

Impacts of migration
It also introduced lifechanges and new perspectives, which affected the personal lives of women migrants.

Insights from the Study

The life story approach generated the following data about women migrants: The role of the family in decision-making Working and living conditions abroad Migrants ways of coping Remittance behaviour Uses of remittances The economic challenges of returning to the Philippines Migrants tendency to postpone a more permanent return due to lack of options in the country

Insights from the Study

The study also provided these following details: Understanding of the strategies women employ to send remittances Understanding their ways on how to maintain their dignity Understanding the non-economic aspects of migration.

Insights from the Study

Personal and family aspirations had been intertwined. Women work abroad to address the economic vulnerability of their families.

Insights from the Study

Stronger sense of sprituality and a more positive sense of self, not because of absence of trials, but surpassed many trials. The good mother for women migrants has been redefined from nurturers to providers.

Sources of the photos:

http://www.cebu-philippines.net/asia-map.html http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-25517290/stock-photo-girls-dancing-at-a-night-club.html http://www.xpatlink.info/ads/services/36s771-1-east-africa-domestic-services-eads-qualifiedhousekeepers http://www.superstock.co.uk/stock-photos-images/1890-31376 http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-mom-calling-her-child-image3541369 http://dawn-zhang.blogspot.com/2011/01/world-without-letters.html http://vsrajashekhar.blogspot.com/2011/05/prayers-silly-and-not-serious.html http://www.hindustantimes.com/Insecurity-breeds-negativity-stay-secure/Article1-721409.aspx http://annkramer.com/initial-questions/when-is-couple-therapy-best.html http://www.singlemomfinancialhelp.co/ http://www.csudh.edu/psych/apagradschool.html http://www.condominiumhouseandlotphilippines.com/ http://www.flashfridge.com/tutorial.asp?ID=196 http://yabooknerd.blogspot.com/2009/03/happy-womens-history-month.html http://www.drcher.org/therapy_for_eating_disorders/weight_maintenance http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x3108106/mother_and_boy_looking_out_airport_window_ waving