Women migrant domestic workers negotiating restrictive state migration policies

Bindhulakshmi Pattadath and Meena Gopal

Chapter 7 in Women’s Economic Empowerment and the State, 2026, pp 145-159 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter examines the impact of restrictive state migration policies on migrant domestic workers from India to the Gulf States. We focus on the 2002 exit migration policies introduced by the Indian government that imposed a minimum age of 30 years for women seeking to migrate for employment to the Gulf States, specifically targeting low-skilled migrant women workers. While intended to reduce risks related to women's migration, we show how state regulation has not discouraged women from migration but instead compounded migrant vulnerabilities and precarious work conditions through irregular migration patterns and limited state responsibility to protect workers. Through an analysis of the broader landscape, characterized by a predominance of informal sector jobs, this chapter highlights the larger social, cultural, and political context that drives women to seek livelihoods abroad, despite risks. Using case studies to share stories from two migrant domestic workers from Kerala, India, migrating to Dubai, UAE, this chapter highlights the heightened risks experienced by women who bypass protectionist exit migration policies to seek their livelihood abroad. The chapter concludes with policy recommendations that centre women's voices and advocate for gender-sensitive reforms to enable safer, more empowering migration opportunities.

Keywords: Gendered Migration; Women Migrant Workers; Restrictive State Policies; Domestic Work; Precarious Work (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781803921167
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