A World Bank study on migration and gender attitudes in Kerala has triggered renewed debate after findings suggested that some Muslim migrants returning from Saudi Arabia displayed more conservative views on women and gender roles.
The report, titled Beyond Money: Does Migration Experience Transfer Gender Norms?, was published in 2022 but has recently attracted attention after Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed concern over its findings.
The study used data from Kerala’s 2013 Migration Survey and covered 14,575 households involving 63,230 people across the state’s 14 districts. Researchers compared three groups, including 265 Saudi Arabia returnees, 322 migrants returning from other Gulf countries such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, and 8,614 non-migrants.
The researchers examined attitudes across areas including employment, gender rights, household decision-making, violence against women and extreme gender inequality.
According to the study, 43 per cent of Saudi returnees agreed that a husband has the right to physically punish his wife if she disobeys him. The corresponding figure among returnees from other Gulf countries was 37 per cent.
The report also found that 75.3 per cent of Saudi returnees believed a man’s honour could be damaged if his wife or daughter moved around freely outside the home. The findings indicated stronger resistance to women’s employment among this group as well.
Saudi Arabia was examined separately because of its comparatively conservative social environment at the time of the study.
Tharoor described the findings as concerning, arguing that Kerala has a longstanding reputation for progressive social attitudes and high female education. He called for introspection within the community over the possible influence of conservative norms acquired abroad.
