SOCIOECONOMIC AND BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITIES OF SEASONALLY MIGRANT WOMEN BRICK FIELD WORKERS IN BERABERIA, WEST BENGAL
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i2.2023.3855Keywords:
Women Brick Workers, Occupational Health, Reproductive Health, Maternal Health, Seasonal MigrationAbstract [English]
This study investigates the socioeconomic and biological vulnerabilities of seasonally migrant women brick field workers in Beraberia Mouza, West Bengal, India. Using a cross-sectional survey design, 120 women workers from three brick kilns were studied. The findings reveal severe vulnerabilities: 58.82% of women were married before age 15, with 50.75% giving birth within one year of marriage. Occupational hazards are significant, with 46.51% working until their sixth month of pregnancy. Only 17.24% received medical cards for healthcare access, and 81.9% did not utilize free antenatal check-ups. Nutritional assessment showed 30.17% were underweight (BMI <18.5). Adverse birth outcomes were prevalent, with 13.79% experiencing perinatal mortality and 35.4% reporting underweight births. The study also found high rates of occupational diseases, with back pain (23.28%) and muscle pain (14.08%) being most common. The research highlights the urgent need for policy interventions targeting reproductive health access, workplace safety, and nutritional support for this vulnerable population. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of gender-based vulnerabilities in informal labour sectors and can inform targeted interventions for improving maternal and child health outcomes
References
Aktar, S., Rahman, M., & Quddusi, K. M. (2021). Nutritional status of children of the brick field workers in Dhaka City's peripheral areas. Disease Control Priorities, 6(1), 123-139.
Ali, T. S., Sahito, Z., Khan, S. M., Wahab, F., & Fatmi, Z. (2020). Situation analysis of brick kiln workers in Pakistan's Punjab province. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-9.
Fell, M. (2018). Brick kiln worker vulnerabilities and Covid-19. GIZ Policy Brief.
Hossain, M. A., Mahbub, M., Ahmed, M. T., & Hasan, M. D. (2021). Musculoskeletal problems and associated risk factors among female brick field workers in Bangladesh. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3598.
Huda, N., Akhter, S., Ali, S. S., & Begum, H. A. (2022). Women's participation in brick manufacturing: ensuring economic empowerment and gender equality. BRAC University Journal, 17(1), 45-60.
ICRW (2011). Delaying marriage for girls in India: A fruitless question? International Center for Research on Women.
Jahan, R. (2012). Combating the issues of child marriage. BRAC University Journal, 9(1-2), 97-104.
Joarder, T., Jesmin, S. S., & Ahmed, S. M. (2021). Access to maternal healthcare among brick kiln workers in Bangladesh. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-12.
Joshi, S. K., Hamal, P. K., & Kharel, J. (2013). Situation of child labor among children of brick industries in Kathmandu valley. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Khan, F., Wong, L. P., Hassan, S. T.S., Azmi, N.A., & Dujaili, J. A. (2022). Adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes among South Asian brick kiln workers: A systematic review. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 874814.
Kushwaha, S., Singha, J. S., Singh, Y. D., Vinayak, A., & Kumari, A. (2019). Understanding healthcare practices, gender disadvantage, and brick kiln workers in Punjab. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 54(8), 1257-1281.
Majumder, A. (2013). Migration, vulnerability and insecure citizenship: Old issues, new matters. Economic and Political Weekly, 48(36), 10-13.
Malik, A. A., Khan, R. U., Khilji, B. A., Khan, S. H., Ahmed, A., & Khan, Z. M. (2018). Nutritional status and its underlying determinants among children of brick kiln Workers. Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad, 30(2), 175-179.
Malmstrom, M. (2019). Healthy migrant families: A breeze or a blight for European health systems? Migration Policy Practice, 9(1), 12-16.
Mondal, P.K., & Alam, A. (2019). Quality of life of seasonally migrated women brick field workers at Beraberia Mouza, North 24 Parganas. Unpublished Field Report.
Muttahara, S. H., Syed, L., & Shahab, B. (2019). Working conditions of brick kiln workers and status of their children: A study in Malda district of West Bengal. Space and Culture, India, 6(5), 107-118.
Nath, P. S., Chakravarty, P., & Akhtar, N. (2021). Maternal health of migrant brick kiln workers in North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal, India. SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine, 3, 1267–1277.
Naz, S., Iqbal, S., & Naqvi, S. M. (2016). Child labour: A sociological study of issues and challenges. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences, 36(2), 699-711.
Rahman, F., Jahan, N., Dyey, G. A., Hayat, S., Bilkis, S., & Haque, M. A. (2022). Malnutrition and associated risk factors in children of brick field workers. Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 22(1), 82-91.
Sarkar, A. (2013). Promoting corporate engagement with human rights for ensuring responsible business in sectors like extractive industries, construction and others–Indian perspective. Business and Human Rights, 106-116.
Sett, M., & Sahu, G. (2014). Effects of occupational heat exposure on female brick workers in West Bengal, India. Global Health Action, 7(1), 21629. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/gha.v7.21923
Sheikh, N., Qureshi, Z. A., & Khan, S. A. (2015). A pathway towards awareness for improved health care among brick-kiln workers. Pakistan Development Review, 54(4), 901-920.
Singh, A., Kumar, S., & Bahuguna, P. (2017). Food consumption pattern and nutritional status of brick kiln workers. Journal of Human Ecology, 59(2), 75-89.
Singh, D., Sahu, D. K., & Gulati, I. S. (2016). Food insecurity and nutritional status of brick kiln workers in Hisar City of Haryana. National Journal of Community Medicine, 7(2), 122-126.
Sohel, M. S., Evans, J., & Khan, M. A. (2022). A systematic review of maternal health determinants and adverse pregnancy outcomes among brick kiln workers in South Asia. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 22(1), 1-15.
Subramanian, S. V.,Nandy, S., Irving, M., Gordon, D., Smith, G. D. (2014). Role of maternal autonomy and children ever born in explaining the persistence of socioeconomic inequalities in child stunting across generations in India. Global Health Action, 7(1), 25598.
Suresh, M., Tiwari, R. R., Ahmed, S., Siraj, M., & Khan, D. K. (2016). Health status of brick workers: A cross-sectional study from West Bengal. Indian Journal of Community Health, 28(2), 156-165.
UNFPA (2013). Motherhood in childhood: Facing the challenge of adolescent pregnancy. United Nations Population Fund Report.
UNICEF (2022). Child Marriage: Latest trends and future prospects. United Nations Children's Fund.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Pijus Kanti Mondal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
With the licence CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author.
It is not necessary to ask for further permission from the author or journal board.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.
