Thesis abstract:

«p»My PhD research explores the challenges and health issues Myanmar women migrant workers in Malaysia face and how they navigate those challenges. In Malaysia, Myanmar migrant workers mostly work in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture or plantation, and services. These are highly gendered spaces and many Myanmar women migrant workers participate in the services (nursing, sales and domestic care) and manufacturing industries as compared to their male counterparts. The rights of migrant women in these gendered workplaces tend to be more limited and they experience more exploitation and vulnerability than male migrant workers in areas affecting their health, physicality, and mental health and well-being to name a few. Coupled with the fact that only 17.45% of 104 000 Myanmar migrant workers in Malaysia are women, there are few places that support their lives and where they feel protected. Additionally, while the lived experiences of women migrant workers in Malaysia and elsewhere have been extensively studied, the same cannot be said about Myanmar women migrant workers in Malaysia. Hence, my study fills this gap by focusing specifically on the challenges that Myanmar women migrant workers in Malaysia face and how they navigate those challenges, where I will employ the lens of intersectionality as a conceptual framework. Intersectionality as an advocacy concept allows me to meet women migrant worker’s complex intersecting needs not only as a migrant in Malaysia, but a woman, mother, friend, colleague, and a citizen from Myanmar residing in Malaysia among other roles. My research objectives include i) investigating the challenges Myanmar women migrant workers experience in Malaysia, ii) exploring how they are affected by the challenges they experience and lastly, iii) identifying what coping strategies do they employ to overcome their challenges. These will be investigated through ethnography where participant observation, interviews and focus group discussions with the women from Tanma, an organisation based in Kuala Lumpur that is run by and empowers Mon, Khin, Kayin, and Chin women migrants from Myanmar through handicraft work to support their livelihood will be conducted. Collected data will then be analysed using thematic analysis. All this is done in hopes to inform and suggest evidence-based interventions to assist Myanmar women migrant workers in Malaysia overcome their challenges and see that this be included in a working migration policy in Malaysia. The significance of this research includes bringing to light the challenges of Myanmar women migrant workers who are in Malaysia as it has not been extensively researched before, exploring the research topic in the context of ethnic minorities and women, where race, culture and gender are concerned and lastly, empowering women migrants to use their voices for their benefit.«/p»