Remittances and the Changing Roles of Women in Laos
Prior to 1975, women in Laos suffered from having
reduced levels of power over decision-making in their families and in
their communities. This has had a negative impact on their ability to
develop their own identities. Their roles were identified as being
responsible for household activities and making preparations for their
marriage. Many women lost opportunities to get educated and access
the outdoor work that might have empowered them to improve their
situations. So far, no accurate figures of either emigrants or return
migrants have been compiled but it appears that most of them were
women, and it was women who most and more frequently remitted
money home. However, very few recent studies have addressed the
relationship between remittances and the roles of women in Laos.
This study, therefore, aims at redressing to some extent the
deficiencies in knowledge. Qualitative techniques were used to gather
data, including individual in-depth interviews and direct observation
in combination with the content analysis method. Forty women in
Vientiane Municipality and Savannakhet province were individually
interviewed. It was found that the monetary remittance was typically
used for family security and well-being; on fungible activities; on
economic and business activities; and on community development,
especially concerning hospitality and providing daily household
necessities. Remittances played important roles in improving many
respondents- livelihoods and positively changed their identities in
families and communities. Women became empowered as they were
able to start commercial businesses, rather than taking care of (just)
housework, children and elders. Interviews indicated that 92.5% of
the respondents their quality of lives improved, 90% felt happier in
their families and 82.5% felt conflicts in their families were reduced.
[1] Population Laos. (n.d.) Retrieved on May 31, 2010, from
http://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/Laos/Population.html.
[2] S. Thomson and S. Baden. (1993). "Women and development in Laos."
BRIDGE (development - gender). (pp.1-29). Brighton, UK: Institute of
Development Studies. Retrieved on May 31, 2010, from
http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk//bridge/Reports/re9c.pdf.
[3] N. Southiseng and J. Walsh. (2008). "Return and informal networks as
alternatives of life development." Proceedings of the Return Migration
in Asia: Experiences, Ideologies, and Politics. National University of
Singapore (31st July-1st August).
[4] L. Deelen, and P. Vasuprasat. (2006). "Migrant worker-s remittances
from Thailand to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar." ILO/Japan on
Managing Cross-border Movement of Labour in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific. Regional for Asia and the Pacific.
[5] L. Olsen. (2008). "Gender, migration, remittances and development:
Towards a participatory research framework." United Nations Instraws.
Retrieved on April 10, 2010, from www.un-instraw.org.
[6] N.N. Sorensen. (n.d.) "Migration and development: Transnational
networks, remittances, civil society and human capital potential.: Danish
Institute for International Studies.
[7] D. List. (2004). "Maximum variation sampling for surveys and
consensus groups." Adelaide: Audience Dialogue. Available at
www.audiencedialogue.org/maxvar.html.
[8] N. Southiseng, M. Ty, J. Walsh and P. Anurit. (2008). "Development of
excellent entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises in Laos and
Cambodia." GMSARN International Journal, 2:4, 147 - 156.
[9] S. Anantarangsi and J. Walsh, (2009). "Income distribution and mobility
in Thailand: The perceptions of migrant workers in Bangkok and
vicinity." NIDA Development Journal. 49:2. April-June. 51-78.
[10] L.R. Jauch, R.N. Osborn and T.N. Martin. (1980). "Structured content
analysis of cases: A complementary method for organizational
research." Academy of Management Review. 5:4. 517-25.
[1] Population Laos. (n.d.) Retrieved on May 31, 2010, from
http://www.historycentral.com/nationbynation/Laos/Population.html.
[2] S. Thomson and S. Baden. (1993). "Women and development in Laos."
BRIDGE (development - gender). (pp.1-29). Brighton, UK: Institute of
Development Studies. Retrieved on May 31, 2010, from
http://www.bridge.ids.ac.uk//bridge/Reports/re9c.pdf.
[3] N. Southiseng and J. Walsh. (2008). "Return and informal networks as
alternatives of life development." Proceedings of the Return Migration
in Asia: Experiences, Ideologies, and Politics. National University of
Singapore (31st July-1st August).
[4] L. Deelen, and P. Vasuprasat. (2006). "Migrant worker-s remittances
from Thailand to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar." ILO/Japan on
Managing Cross-border Movement of Labour in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific. Regional for Asia and the Pacific.
[5] L. Olsen. (2008). "Gender, migration, remittances and development:
Towards a participatory research framework." United Nations Instraws.
Retrieved on April 10, 2010, from www.un-instraw.org.
[6] N.N. Sorensen. (n.d.) "Migration and development: Transnational
networks, remittances, civil society and human capital potential.: Danish
Institute for International Studies.
[7] D. List. (2004). "Maximum variation sampling for surveys and
consensus groups." Adelaide: Audience Dialogue. Available at
www.audiencedialogue.org/maxvar.html.
[8] N. Southiseng, M. Ty, J. Walsh and P. Anurit. (2008). "Development of
excellent entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises in Laos and
Cambodia." GMSARN International Journal, 2:4, 147 - 156.
[9] S. Anantarangsi and J. Walsh, (2009). "Income distribution and mobility
in Thailand: The perceptions of migrant workers in Bangkok and
vicinity." NIDA Development Journal. 49:2. April-June. 51-78.
[10] L.R. Jauch, R.N. Osborn and T.N. Martin. (1980). "Structured content
analysis of cases: A complementary method for organizational
research." Academy of Management Review. 5:4. 517-25.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:54737", author = "N. Southiseng and J. Walsh", title = "Remittances and the Changing Roles of Women in Laos", abstract = "Prior to 1975, women in Laos suffered from having
reduced levels of power over decision-making in their families and in
their communities. This has had a negative impact on their ability to
develop their own identities. Their roles were identified as being
responsible for household activities and making preparations for their
marriage. Many women lost opportunities to get educated and access
the outdoor work that might have empowered them to improve their
situations. So far, no accurate figures of either emigrants or return
migrants have been compiled but it appears that most of them were
women, and it was women who most and more frequently remitted
money home. However, very few recent studies have addressed the
relationship between remittances and the roles of women in Laos.
This study, therefore, aims at redressing to some extent the
deficiencies in knowledge. Qualitative techniques were used to gather
data, including individual in-depth interviews and direct observation
in combination with the content analysis method. Forty women in
Vientiane Municipality and Savannakhet province were individually
interviewed. It was found that the monetary remittance was typically
used for family security and well-being; on fungible activities; on
economic and business activities; and on community development,
especially concerning hospitality and providing daily household
necessities. Remittances played important roles in improving many
respondents- livelihoods and positively changed their identities in
families and communities. Women became empowered as they were
able to start commercial businesses, rather than taking care of (just)
housework, children and elders. Interviews indicated that 92.5% of
the respondents their quality of lives improved, 90% felt happier in
their families and 82.5% felt conflicts in their families were reduced.", keywords = "Laos, Monetary Remittances, Social Remittance,
Women's Empowerment.", volume = "5", number = "1", pages = "24-7", }