Problems of NE India's working women in metropolises of India - Part 1 -

Grace Kamei *

Training on security for North East citizens by Delhi Police on 07 March 2013 :: Pix - computerlabptc(at)gmail(dot)com

This article is an attempt to highlight the problems faced by the working women of Northeast India states in the metro cities of India. Major cities of the country have been centre of attraction for the migrants from many parts of India. According to 2014 Census of India, the top ten metropolitan cities based on their population are Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Surat and Jaipur.

These cities offer important opportunities for economic development and expanding access to basic services including education and health care, for many people of India. Many people have been migrating to the metropolitan cities of India from various parts of the country including many people from Northeast states of India.

Until early 1990, most of the Northeast people went to metro cities; they were working in the central government and pursuing higher studies. Maximum number of people from Northeast states came to the metropolises of India after 1990 for higher studies, job opportunities in public sector, private company, business and other purposes.

Push and pull factors of Northeast India's people migration to metro cities

For the last 10 years, each year more than thousands of people from Northeast states migrated to metro cities of India. Among the metro cities of India, Delhi is one of the most preferred destinies for Northeast states' migrants.

According to Centre for North East Studies and Research, Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, there are over 200,000 populations of Northeast states living in Delhi. Most the Northeast states' migrants hardly return to their respective states after completing their studies.

Push factors

There are various factors for the people of Northeast states migration to the metropolitan cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and many other capitals of India. The following points are the push factors:

a) Socio-political unrest in the Northeast region, this includes political violence, conflict, bloodshed, public strikes, enforcement of Armed Forces Special Power Act, rampant corruption in the government machineries etc. These unrests have been prevailed in the region for the last over 60 years in some states and lesser in others. Frequent public bandhs and strikes lead to market shuts, schools closed and public transportation off the roads, anyone can be harassed, picked, abducted and killed by fake encounter of polices and insurgents. Life in the region is nightmare every now then. With the privatization, and economic liberalization of 1990s in India and the globalization process reach metro cities of the country, the youth from the Northeast region got attracted and started going there in the pursuit of better job opportunities.

b) Lack of education infrastructures and employment opportunities in the whole Northeast states is a major push factor of migration to many metro cities. The states governments' employment is small in percentage of work forces available and few youth who have political connection got jobs in the state government through money power and bribe. In many cases, the educated youth who have no political connections, for them no hope for government's jobs in the region.

c) Jobs in private sectors and non-governmental business establishments are limited that led to lack of job opportunities in the region. The English medium educations through private schools - high schools and intermediate level are attracted by globalization in the metro cities.

d) Employment boom of globalization does not impact in the Northeast region. In spite of rich mineral resources, potential of international trade, the private investment companies have not considered ready to invest in the Northeastern states.

Pull factors

One of the major pull factors for Northeast people migration to the metro cities is the impact of the country's economic liberalization and globalization. Yet another phenomenon of migration to metro cities, particularly in search of job opportunities did not take place until the emergence of globalization. Globalization has opened the door of opportunities for the Northeast people and it has attracted to move to the metro cities. The following points can be noted for the pull factors:

a) Better environment of educational opportunities with multiple choices of study branches have attracted young people from Northeast region. This pull factor attracts many youths in the region, yet small percentage of population can afford.

b) Job opportunities in central government's services have attracted the educated youth from the Northeast region, yet they have to compete through examination. Reservation jobs in the central government's departments made easier for the special category people like Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities both in lower and higher professions.

c) Many young boys and girls from Northeast region, those who are at the level of semi-skilled and semi-professional get jobs in the organized and un-organized private companies such as BPO, hospitality industries, shopping malls etc. Appealing personalities, ability to communicate in English language and hospitality/socially oriented culture, honesty, hard working culture of Northeast region are few more flavors attracted to private companies.

Problems of Northeast India states' working women in metro cities

Many girls and boys from Northeast India states have come in the metro cities in the last ten years for seeking better jobs. Migrants from Manipur state are top in the list comprising nearly half of the numbers followed by those from Mizoram and Nagaland states.

Women from Northeast states cite the failure of businesses and family occupations as the one of the reasons for seeking better jobs in metro cities. They feel that their westernized dresses and lifestyles do mark them out for specific notice in certain parts of the metro cities. Metro cities are also preferred by the women of Northeast states because its booming fashion industry demands many professional and ropes them in even if they do not have prior working experiences.

Most of the women/girls from Northeast states are working in the un-organized companies of retail - clothing stores, sports stores, cosmetic stores, beauty parlours, spas, BPO, restaurants, hotels etc, these women call the city their home for now.

The working women in India faced various difficulties at work places. The problems of women workers are multi-dimensional ranging from economic, social and environmental to psychological. Likewise working women from Northeast states faced different types of difficulties. They are often deprived of promotions and growth opportunities at work places but this does not apply to all the working women. A majority of working women continues to be denied their right to equal pay, under the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 and are underpaid in comparison to their male colleagues.

The discrimination against the working women of Northeast region is a worst formed that occurs in many working places.

The following discrimination points may be mentioned:
(i) fewer women are employed than men;
(ii) women are paid less (payment) than men for the same nature of jobs;
(iii) women are engaged in jobs with lower level of security and relatively less opportunity for upward occupational of women in the labour market and in the home/family are inter-related, and part of an overall social system in which women are subordinated to men.

To be continued..