| Abstract: | International Labor migration has led to a significant number of migrant domestic workers globally. According to the ILO (International Labor Organisation), an estimate there are 67.1 million domestic workers, most of whom are women. These women often originate from developing countries and migrate to wealthier countries across Asia, the Middle East, and Europe etc to work as domestic help in private households. The district of Kalimpong, located in the Northern State of West Bengal, has witnessed a growing trend of international labor migration among its female population. Only limited research from the hills of Kalimpong and Darjeeling explores the international migration of women, mainly concentrating on the push and pull factors and the remittances that sustain their families. Guided by Robert Merton’s concept of Strain Theory and Anthony Giddens’s ‘structuration theory’ (1984), the present study employs a qualitative research approach, utilizing in-depth interviews to explore the diverse impacts of migration on their left-behind children. The study reveals that children who grow up without maternal care experience behavioural issues, poor academic performances, and psychological distress due to parental separation, highlighting the broader gendered and social dimensions of migration. |
