IE Thinc session today on Covid’s impact on migrant women and children

India has has close to 600 million internal migrants. While most of them migrate within the same state and even within the same district, hundreds of thousands also cross several state borders to look for work. Little is known about the state of millions of migrant workers; even less is known about the women and children who migrate along with men.

A key feature of India’s internal migration is that while most men migrate for work, a very high percentage of women migrate because of marriage. In other words, most women do not migrate for economic reasons. But even though they do migrate and work as migrant workers, their specific needs and concerns often remain a policy blind spot. Another equally worrying aspect is the fate of children of such migrant workers. How many of them get adequate food, nutrition and education?
How do the deep-set gender biases against women, and especially the girl child, play out among migrant women and children?

The seventh edition of the eight-part webinar series Thinc Migration by The Indian Express, which will go live Thursday, will address these questions. Presented by Omidyar Network India, the panel discussion among the leaders from academia, private sector and civil society will also examine how Covid-induced disruptions impacted migrant women and children.

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This edition will feature a keynote address by Renana Jhabvala, who is the Chair of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA-Bharat). Her address will be followed by a panel discussion which will feature Sonalde Desai (Professor and Centre Director, NCAER-National Data Innovation Centre), Anjali Borhade (Founder Director, Disha Foundation), Rajeshwari B (MGNREGA Commissioner, Jharkhand) and Dipa Sinha (Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Studies, Ambedkar University).

The session will be moderated by Udit Misra, Deputy Associate Editor, The Indian Express.