Psycho-Social Factors Associated with Sri LankanWomen Seeking Employment in Middle East Countries as Housemaids.

Abstract

Sri Lanka is known to export female migrant workers as housemaids. Increasing evidence shows this phenomenon leads to abuse of migrant females in host countries and adversities to their children at home. This study was carried out among 200 Sri Lankan women seeking foreign employment as house maids at the Foreign Employment Bureau. Data was collected using a self- administered questionnaire and analysed using SPSS 16 version. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of University of Sri Jayewardenepura. Majority (44%) consists of 30-39 years and 72% were Sinhalese. Only 15.5% completed secondary education. Married proportion was 60%. Husband`s income was less than LKR 10,000 in 77% and 98.9% husbands had some form of substance abuse. Majority said they seek foreign employment to fulfil financial requirement but 30% said the reason for going abroad was harassments by husband and relatives. Of 123 children of these women, 87 (71%) were below 20 years and were not economically active. As a whole sample women seeking foreign employment as housemaids have poor education, income. Where as in married sample, majority had dependent children and suffered substance abuse of their husbands. Hence interventions should focus on strengthening these women and husbands to be employed locally