From Margins to Brick Kilns: Women's Labour and the Nexus of Migration and Poverty

This paper explores how poverty and related issues compel many women to migrate and seek employment in brick-kiln industries, reflecting their personal narratives. A big chunk of the women workers working in brick kilns have migrated from distant places. Poverty remains a major factor in their migration process, forcing many women to leave their homeland in search of better livelihood opportunities. Since brick-kilns fall under the unorganised sector, they can accommodate a large workforce by offering consistent employment opportunities. As a result, brick-kiln becomes a viable survival option for poor, marginalized women who lack formal educational qualification. Apart from poverty, some women migrate to brick-kiln industries to become financially independent and escape from an oppressive household environment. The paper is based on both primary and secondary sources of data.