• Shareena Jasmin. P. K

Significant section of Kerala society is immigrant and their remittance constitute the back bone of Kerala’s economic advancement. Malabar in the north of Kerala had unbreakable relationship with Gulf countries from the ancient times onwards and today at least one individual of every single households of Malabar are migrant workers in Gulf countries. This paper examines the condition of women left – behind in Malabar and their untold stories of struggles for survival. Though there are changes in almost all fields like science, technology, material life, standard of living etc. and though it had changing implications in the life of women left behind, patriarchy continues to function without any change and its gender specific, sex oriented stereotypes continue to condition and control the life of women especially the life of women who are left behind in home. The change in family structure and the autonomy asserted by some women after the migration of their husbands is temporary as the changing roles will revert once he is back from abroad. The experiences of women left – behind home is greatly varied according to the family set up and social structure. A more general tendency shows that on the one hand the women of extended families experienced strict supervision and control over their mobility and autonomy and on the other hand the women of nuclear families exercised more powers and have decision making rights in the absence of their husbands. While some women figured out a way to cope with the emotional turmoil many others even went in to the stage of psychological illness commonly termed as ‘Gulf syndrome’ in Malabar region. The life of these women however is not stagnant as every day they are struggling to survive and pushing the life ahead.

Migration, Malabar, gender, patriarchy, Gulf syndrome, mobility, kathu pattu,

"THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL: IMPACT OF GULF MIGRATION ON WOMEN LEFT- BEHIND IN MALABAR.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 6, page no.635-639, June-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1806893.pdf

"THE STRUGGLE FOR SURVIVAL: IMPACT OF GULF MIGRATION ON WOMEN LEFT- BEHIND IN MALABAR.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 6, page no. pp635-639, June-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1806893.pdf