Gender Differences in Violence and Other Human Rights Abuses Among Migrant Workers on the Thailand–Myanmar Border

Abstract

We describe human rights violations against migrant workers at the Thailand–Myanmar border, and evaluate differences by gender and industry. This mixed methods study pairs key informant interviews ( n = 40) with a cross-sectional quantitative survey of migrant workers from Myanmar ( n = 589) recruited via respondent-driven sampling. Key informants described significant hazards during migration, including deception, theft, and physical and sexual abuse, the latter primarily for women. Quantitative results confirmed prevalent mistreatment and abuse, with significant gender differences, most notably women’s disproportionate burden of sexual abuse. Current evidence on the nature of experiences, and significant differences by gender, can position prevention and response programming.

Migrant experiences of sexual and gender based violence: a critical interpretative synthesis

“…In transit, females who travel with smugglers tend to be exposed to heightened risks of GBV and transactional sex [ 38 , 64 ]. As stated previously, border crossings, roadsides, and prison / detention centers are common areas where risks of GBV victimization are higher [ 52 , 65 ], sometimes to the extent where transactional sex was normalized and ‘expected’ from females [ 66 ].…”

“…As stated previously, border crossings, roadsides, and prison / detention centers are common areas where risks of GBV victimization are higher [ 52 , 65 ], sometimes to the extent where transactional sex was normalized and ‘expected’ from females [ 66 ]. Normalisation of partner abuse, internalized social norms on the subservient position of women within households, and stress from forced displacement all contribute towards IPV occurrence [ 36 , 54 , 61 , 64 ]. The study by Welton-Mitchell, Bujang [ 36 ] found that over 80% of both male and female Rohingya refugee respondents agreed that men have a right to punish women.…”

Reproductive health at conflict borders: a cross-sectional survey of human rights violations and perinatal outcomes at the Thai-Myanmar border

“…The HRVs documented on the Thai side of the border are not unique to this study. Similar reports document abuses and fears experienced by migrants in other parts of Thailand and other international border regions in recent decades [41,42,[45][46][47][48][49][50][51]. Experiences of arrest, deportation, and related threats by law enforcementalong with debt, labor exploitation, and trafficking threats introduced by employers and brokers-all contribute to chronic stressors, adverse mental health, and repeated HRVs [40,41].…”

“…We present a novel study of HRV prevalence and perinatal outcomes among women residing in a diverse context of chronic displacement at Thailand's northern border with Myanmar. This is one of the most protracted displacement sites globally, where human rights abuses against DPs, migrant workers, and stateless persons have been consistently documented over decades, but often separately [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. In this relatively small geographic space, women's situations reflect broadly relevant experiences of protracted displacement, ethnicbased discrimination, and precarious LS and related threats to health.…”

“…Experiences of arrest, deportation, and related threats by law enforcementalong with debt, labor exploitation, and trafficking threats introduced by employers and brokers-all contribute to chronic stressors, adverse mental health, and repeated HRVs [40,41]. Furthermore, past studies document how migrant women experience greater violence and HRVs than men at the border [42]. Beyond past studies that have focused more exclusively on recent DPs or migrant workers in larger industrial work sites, this study further reveals how violence against women pervades other settings.…”