Abstract:
Sri Lanka promoted migration after 1977 with the introduction of
the open economic policies for the country and it affected to make widen the
international relationship among nations. With the changing pattern of
international relationships the rural social structure was also highly affected.
The main objective of this study is to discuss the negative consequences
which arise through the international migration of women in Sri Lankan
context and how it was influenced to the family and children. Identifying
the main reasons for the migration, the views of the husband on the migrated
wife, the nature of the problem faced by the husband, the responses of the
children on the migration of the mothers, views of the achievements of the
expected goal through migration are the other specific objectives of this
study. The purposive sampling was used by the study because the
international migration is not a common for all households of the society.
Sample was taken from Wariyapola DS division in Kurunagala district,
which records high international migration rates in rural sectors. 50
households were selected including 38 cases from the women returned back
after the migration and 12 cases from the family members who have migrated
women at the moment. The questionnaire, interview, case studies and
observation were used for the data collection. To get rid of economic
problems, to build a new house, to buy a land, to save money, to solve the
problems of the children and to achieve the economic status of the others, to
get rid of economical problems including indebtedness, inability to find
foods, insufficient income of the husband, the expenditure of the children’s
education, lack of the household commodities and safety purpose are the
major cause of the migration identified through this study. Alcohol
addiction, sexual problems and mental depression are the leading problems
faced by husbands. The main problems faced by the children due to mother’s
migration are isolation, neglecting education, sexual harassment and
loitering. Some possible policy implications were suggested as final
contribution of this micro level study to address this social problem in Sri
Lanka in a sociological aspect.
