Routledge Empowering Migrant Women: Why Agency and Rights are not Enough (Gender in a Global/Local World)

Based on insights from Filipina experiences of domestic work in Paris and Hong Kong, this volume breaks through the polarized thinking and migration-centric policy action on the protection of migrant women domestic workers from abuse to link migrants' rights and victimization with livelihood, migration and development. The book contextualizes agency and rights in the workers' capability to secure a livelihood in the global political economy and is instrumental in making the problem of migrant women workers' empowerment both a migration and development agenda. The volume is essential reading for social scientists, bureaucrats and non-governmental political activists interested in the protection of the rights and livelihoods of migrants. It will also appeal to migration and feminist scholars who have yet to adopt the contribution of critical development studies in the analysis of low-skilled female labour migration. Review 'This book makes an important contribution to knowledge surrounding the theorization of agency and the limits of a rights-based approach by synthesizing Structuration Theory with the Capability Approach. The analysis importantly combines the situation in sending and receiving countries under one framework. It is a highly informative and very timely piece of research, particularly for scholars interested in the rights of migrants and non-governmental political activism for, or by, migrants.' Nicola Piper, Swansea University, UK 'The Filipina domestic worker is one of the icons of global mobility at the start of the twenty-first century... Leah Briones uses qualitative material from interviews and observations with Filipina migrants in Hong Kong and Paris to challenge the framing of these women as either victors or victims.' Gender & Development 'Empowering Migrant Women would be a wonderful addition to courses in gender and women's studies, migration studies, labor studies, global studies, and development studies.' Journal of International Women's Studies 'This book is a spirited contribution to scholarship on gender and migration, feminist development studies and labour studies... Empowering Migrant Women is a thoughtful contribution and an excellent addition to courses on gender and women’s studies, globalisation, labour studies, development studies and migration.' Feminist Review About the Author Leah Briones