Distress Migration and 'Left Behind' Women: A Study of Rural Bihar

In poor economies - such as those found in Asia, Africa, and Latin America - migration is adopted as a family survival strategy in which rural residents join the migration stream, leaving their families and villages behind. In India, the state of Bihar is a case in point where poverty-driven, 'male only' migration without family is a predominant feature. Studying the left behind families of migrants in rural areas of Bihar, this book analyzes the pattern, motivation, and impact of migration in a holistic manner, keeping the 'left behind' women at its center. The book explores the linkage between poverty, migration, and development by probing various facets like: Who migrates and what makes them migrate? What is the spatial manifestation of development on migration patterns? What is the role of remittances in bringing about economic well-being, social well-being, and physical well-being of the left behind families? The book also looks at other issues, such as: What are the gains and pains to left behind wives? How do they feel and cope up with situations and circumstances created by such migration, particularly when they are living in a traditional society? What happens if the migrant husband carries a sexually transmitted disease or develops a parallel family at the place of destinations? Altogether, some interesting features have emerged when the left behind wives have been compared with wives of non-migrants in the same local area.