Aspects of Change Among Female Migrants: The Case of Kukis in Delhi

Abstract

Female migration has increased globally in the last few decades. Women no longer migrate as passive followers of husbands, family or relatives but as independent migrants, causing various changes in their socio-economic life. Drawing insights primarily from field work data, the paper examines the changing role and status of Kuki women in Delhi, India, and argues that they have moved away from their traditional domestic roles. After migration, they have occupied important positions in various organizations such as the Sum Lom, Prayer Cell, the Church and the Kuki Inpi. They now play an important role in decision-making processes in the public sphere, thereby eroding elements in the traditional patriarchal system.