Gender dimensions in rural- urban migration in India: policy imperatives

Shanthi Krishnaraj, University of Madras

Globalization has offered new employment opportunities both for educated and illiterate women in India. This in turn has accentuated the rural-urban migration of females who have either moved independently or with their families. But it is not sure whether the increased employed opportunities can be sustained in the long run. In case the new employment opportunities are proved to be short-lived , what will happen to these female migrants is the crucial question. The existing migration models do not adequately explain the migration decision process in cases of female centered migration. The current developments not only warrant a new theory, but also gender sensitive approaches to the provision of urban infrastructure and employment policy