Abstract:
When the international labour migration from Sri Lanka commenced in 1976, with the first
major rise in oil prices in Middle-East region countries, males dominated in the migration
stream. However, by 1988, the number of male and female international labour migrant
workers became almost the same. During the period 1989-2007, female dominance in the
migration stream became significant. Interestingly, the two decades of female dominance in
labour migration has disappeared in the recent past. Thus the general objectives of this study
are to examine the possible reasons for the disappearance of female dominance and future
trends in international labour migration of Sri Lanka.
Data for the study is basically drawn from the data base of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign
Employment (SLBFE). Complementary data sets from the Department of Census and
Statistics and data sets developed by the author are also used.
One of the immediate reasons for the reversal of the two decade pattern is the increase of
skilled male migrant workers under the bi-lateral agreement between South Korea and Sri
Lanka. However, still the Middle-East region dominates and attracts about 90 percent of
annual labour migrants from Sri Lanka. Comprehensive training activities, specifically for
increasing the capacity of low-skilled workers to access skilled employment, are already
underway. The SLBFE and many other state and private sector agencies have initiated a
number of activities to promote skilled labour. Through that, more males than females receive
advantage for migration to many destinations other than the Middle-East region.
For many years, the domain of Sri Lankan migrant workers has been dominated by females,
particularly those who engaged in housemaid category. Studies by the author clearly
demonstrated that 15 percent of married females who underwent induced abortion procedure
in Sri Lanka, had the immediate departure for Middle-East as the main reason for the
termination.
However, in 2007, State action resulted in closure of almost all abortion centers that had
provided such services. Since then, women who were planning to go to Middle-East hardly
have any avenue to get their unexpected/unwanted pregnancies terminate. Thus the majority
of such women would have kept the pregnancy for full term and delivered the children. This
environment affected potential female labour migrants in two ways: first, the pregnancy and
second, by having a small child; both contributing to curtailing the attempt for migration.
Over 90 percent of the Sri Lankan female migrant worker population is low-skilled. Many of
them face numerous problems, at destination and also after returned to Sri Lanka. The lowskilled female migrant labourers face more problems than the skilled female workers. It is this
environment that has persuaded the government to initiate number of strategies to discourage
the migration of low-skilled female workers, particularly the housemaid category. As a result
of all these activities and changes in the environment (local and abroad), males once again
dominate in the domain of international labour migration of Sri Lanka and the pattern is
expected to continue in the immediate future