What is the Impact of Environment on Poor and

Migrant Women in Indian Slums?

Anushree Sinha
Email: asinha@ncaer.org

International Conference
on
The Environments of the Poor in the Context
Climate Change and Green Economy
Taj palace Hotel, New Delhi 24 – 26 Nov 2010
The views expressed in this paper/presentation are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Directors, or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy,
completeness or reliability of any statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented, nor does it make any
representation concerning the same.
1
 Introduction
• It is acceptable to hypothesise that migration is a
very important cause of unplanned urbanisation.

• Much of migrating poor populate urban slums.

• The paper attempts to:

• Understand urbanisation of Indian work force
distinguished by gender and conditions of
urban slums
• Examines conditions which poor women face
as they move from one hazardous to another
hazardous area.
2
 Indian Women and Work

• Indian women mostly are involved in low

paying jobs.

• Involved in low end of any production

chain and hence earn much lower shares
of income than men.

• Women tend to be predominantly in

informal economy.

3
 Some Evidence of Distress
Related Migration

• Certain Indian states have faced distress

migration of poor people.

• Patterns of circular migration in disaster-prone

areas are now widely recognized

• Field research conducted since 1990 has

suggested weather patterns, or climate
variability affects human survival, can influence
migration significantly.

4
 Gender wise Migration by Various
Reasons (2007-08)
Urban Male Urban Female

0.21 1.44 0.10

29.59
25.26 15.14
61.12
0.62

Marriage Marriage
In search of employment In search of employment
Migration of parent/earning member of the family Migration of parent/earning member of the family
Natural disaster Natural disaster

Source: Unit level data, NSSO 64th Round.

5
 Slums and Migrating Poor

• Poor are more likely to get affected by floods

and droughts leading to migration.

• Urban poverty could be an outcome of migration

which could be party due to natural disasters.

• Such migrants are also more likely to live in

urban slums.

• Resulting in environmental health risks faced by

urban poor -and the gender dimension of this.

6
 Migration and Urban Slums
(NSSO 64th Round )
• Nearly 29 per cent of persons were migrants
during 2007-08 with significant rural-urban and
male-female differentials.

• Migration rate’ in urban areas (i.e., proportion of

migrants in the population M/F)

- urban areas :(35 %); rural areas (26 %)

• Nearly 48 % of the females were migrants

compared to male migration rate of only 5 % (rural).
• The male migration rate was nearly 26 %
compared to female rate of 46% (urban).
7
 Migration rate (per 1000 persons M/F
respectively) 2007-08

Sl. Category of Persons Rural Urban Rural + Urban

No.

1 Male 54 259 109

2 Female 477 456 472

3 Male + Female 261 354 285

Source: Report NSSO 64th Round.

8
 Conditions of Urban Slums
• Slum condition is defined as a living
environment with non-durable structures,
insecure tenure, lack of water, lack of
sanitation, and overcrowding by UN-
Habitat.

• It is estimated that about 32 per cent of

global urban population live in slums in
urban areas.

9
 Some Information on Indian Slums
2007-08
• Currently in India there are as many as
49,000 slums in urban region forcing
thousands of people to live in deplorable
and environmentally risky conditions.

• NSSO Report (2007-08) states that 24

per cent of total slums located along
nallahs and drains and around 12 per
cent along railway tracks.

10
 Sanitary Conditions of Indian Slums
2007-08
• Sanitary conditions in slums in terms of
toilet facility during 2008-09 showed some
improvement since 2002.

• Toilets with septic tanks (or similar facility)

were available in 68 per cent notified and
47 per cent non-notified slums (up from
66 per cent and 35 per cent respectively
in 2002).

11
 Sanitary Conditions of Indian Slums
2007-08 (Contd…)
• NSSO Report reveals around 10 per cent
of notified and 20 per cent of non-notified
slums still do not any toilet facility at all.

• Around 10 per cent notified and 23 per

cent non-notified slums did not have any
drainage facility as against 15 per cent
for notified and 44 per cent for non-
notified slums in 2002 (NSSO, 2008-09).

12
 Likely Conditions Poor Women
Workers
• As women are poor, they are likely to reside
more in slums and are more susceptible to
adverse health outcomes associated with
inadequate conditions and slum environment.

• Poor sanitation, leaking roofs and increased

flooding and fire risks increase women’s
vulnerability to spread of diseases.

13
 Women Spend More Time in Slums
• Women are more likely to remain for
longer hours in the slum areas as they
mostly work in home based activities or
otherwise more prone go only out only for
part time activities.

• Cultural norms also dictate women in

urban slums to spend more time in home
caring for their families and households.

14
 Gender wise Share of Population not
Taking Any Treatment

Population  1995-96 2003-04

  Rural Urban Rural Urban

Male 15.81 8.14 17.41 10.57

Female 18.28 8.81 17.71 11.31

15
 Gender wise Share of Population not
Taking Treatment by various Reasons
  No medical facility No treatment sought No treatment Others Total
available in due to long waiting sought due to
neighbourhood financial reasons

Rural
1995-96          
Male 8.5 0.8 25.6 10.1 100
Female 9.6 0.2 23.7 10.4 100
2003-04          
Male 14 1.2 30.5 16.1 100
Female 11.6 0.8 31.7 16.7 100
Urban
1995-96      
Male 0.9 1.1 17.7 10.7 100
Female 0.7 1.0 22 14.3 100
2003-04         100
Male 1 0.7 20.3 13.9 100
Female 1.6 2.8 25.7 14.6 100
16
 Future Research
• Further studies are required that go
beyond a single discipline or methodology.

• Important to use interdisciplinary models.

• Important to get data which informs both

about source and destination of a
migration process.

17
 Combination of Case Studies and
Representative Data
• Case studies from various regions of the world
have provided evidence of drought and
desertification related migration.

• Results not fully established and difficult for

making general conclusions generally case studies
are context-specific.

• Case studies provide many important aspects but

would gain by other representative data and
analysis

18
 Concluding Remarks (Contd...)

• Not conclusive that climate changes and

migration have a strong relationship-

– But it is clearer that slums cause

environmental health risks and slum
dwellers are most prone to get air borne,
water borne, other diseases.

19
 Concluding Remarks
• Women slum dwellers are exposed to the
unhealthy slum conditions for longer
period of time due to their roles in the
households.
• Drainage facilities in urban slums continue
to be poor with likely results on health of
dwellers.
• And-even so women are most likely to
remain without medical care.

20
 Gender Responsive Policies
(Contd…)
• While designing interventions: Gender
responsive policies should be kept in
view.

• For example, if more public health

facilities come up near slums, they would
help women.

21
 Gender Responsive Policies

• Women take care of the HH members,

so it would have positive externalities
both within and outside HHs.

• If water cleaning is carried out, women

who work more with water would benefit.

• Cheaper and renewable cooking fuel

would help women.
22