Author: Sopheap Suong
Suong, Sopheap, 2021 A critical reflection on Cambodian women’s labour migration in Southeast Asia, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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This coursework thesis aims at understanding the situation of Cambodian female labour migrants working in three destination countries in Southeast Asia, namely Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, and how Cambodian female migration fits into the bigger picture of global economies and global politics. This is achieved through the use of a range of feminist perspectives, especially Marxist feminism, to analyse and provide critical reflection of Cambodian women’s labour migration in the context of global capitalism. The analysis is guided by the literature on global capitalism and international migration. The findings reveal that the situation of Cambodian female labour migrants is best understood as part of the system of global capitalism. The Cambodian government can also be understood in this context; a large part of this, serving the needs of global capital as much as serving any concept of ‘national good’. Caught in this clash are female labour migrants, often finding themselves in dire circumstances. This is a contentious situation with Cambodian female labour migrants resisting such exploitation whenever they can in order to be free from exploitation and improve their working conditions. Action has also been taken by civil society organisations (CSOs) to advocate for female migrant workers’ rights and benefits. The agency of female labour migrants and the actions taken by CSOs and other actors have put pressure on the Cambodian government to improve its labour migration policies and practices.
Keywords: feminisation of migration, female migrants, global capitalism, Cambodia, Southeast Asia
Subject: Women's Studies thesis
Thesis type: Masters
Completed: 2021
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Associate Professor Barbara Baird