At the limits of “capability”: The sexual and reproductive health of women migrant workers in Malaysia

Abstract

Despite the centrality of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), women migrant workers in Malaysia face an environment inimical to their SRH needs. Drawing on qualitative case study material, we present the first empirical application of the capability approach (CA) to explore the reproductive health needs of women migrant workers in a developing country, offering an original analysis of the capability for SRH of these women. Specifically, we explore the resources available to them; their opportunities and freedoms ("capabilities"); and factors that mediate transformation of resources into capability sets ("conversion factors"). While SRH information and health care are notionally available, women migrant workers face multiple challenges in converting resources into functionings, constraining the achievement of capability for SRH. Challenges include language barriers, personal beliefs, power relations between workers and employers and the consequences of current migration policy. We consider the scale of the challenges facing these women in securing SRH rights, the difficulties of operationalising the CA within such a setting, and the implications of our findings for the adequacy of the CA in supporting marginalised populations.

Report On Women's Reproductive Rights As Human Rights: Evaluating The Impact Of Laws And Policies On Access To Reproductive Healthcare.

“…Supportive laws and policies can affect access to reproductive healthcare. For instance, legislation that guarantees comprehensive sexuality training in schools promotes awareness and empowers individuals to settle on informed conclusions about their reproductive well-being (Freeman et al 2023). Legal frameworks that focus on access to contraception and family arranging services add to bring down rates of accidental pregnancies, maternal mortality, and unsafe abortions.…”

Community matters: barriers and opportunities to sexual health and sexuality education of young female migrants in Hong Kong

“…The above review highlights that existing studies on female migrant workers’ sexual healthcare and sexuality education in Asian context focus overwhelmingly on a limited range of issues, such as HIV/AIDS, contraception and unwanted pregnancies, possibly due to the public health discourse of the receiving country prioritizing the absence of dysfunction and disease ( Freeman et al, 2021 ). This focus has resulted in the neglect of critical aspects of young female migrants’ sexual health needs and education, such as sexual expression, pleasurable aspects of sexual experiences, emotional and social wellbeing regarding sexuality, violence and gender norms.…”

“…These stem from individual, group, and institutional factors, such as low awareness of sexual health, traditional beliefs about contraception, unfriendly staff attitudes as well as policy of migration regime that prioritizes cheap labor over protecting the labor and sexual rights ( Webber et al, 2012 ; Ford and Holumyong, 2016 ; Boonchutima et al, 2017 ; Phanwichatkul et al, 2018 ; Masuda et al, 2020 ). Nevertheless, existing studies, particularly those in Asian context, have focused on a limited range of issues, such as HIV/AIDS, contraception, and unwanted pregnancies, overlooking important aspects of female migrant workers’ sexual health and sexuality education needs, such as emotional, mental, and social wellbeing related to sexuality and the positive and pleasurable dimensions of sexual experiences ( Freeman et al, 2021 ). Although some studies address institutional and sociocultural factors, community-level factors have been largely neglected ( Truong et al, 2014 ).…”

Health issues of women migrants in slums of urban Aligarh

“…Further, pregnancy and childcare responsibilities can lead to reduced working hours and loss of jobs altogether for them (Smith et al, 2016). If the women migrants cannot escape inequalities and extractions, their capabilities (even in terms of reproduction and sexuality) remain underdeveloped and unrealized (Freeman et al, 2021). Their needs are yet to be highlighted, along with the concerted efforts to achieve universal health care and improve the level of overall health status.…”