The Precarity of COVID-19 Pandemic through a Gendered Lens: Experiences of Female Internal Migrant Workers in Manila

Abstract

Migrant workers have been living a precarious life even prior to COVID-19 and its impact has been far from homogenous. Utilizing the intersectionality theory, this study framed its inquiry to establish an analysis that considers gender, class, and civil status as structures that are present in the lives of female migrant workers in Manila—a top migration destination in the country. This study aimed to discover the shared experiences of female internal migrant workers in Manila amidst COVID-19, explore its impact on their work and lives, and identify the strategies they employ to navigate gendered precarity during the onslaught of the health crisis. A phenomenological approach was done to comprehend the lived experience of the respondents, composed of six female internal migrants working in Manila, and has been gathered through criterion purposive sampling. Individual in-depth interviews with semi-structured questions are done to get the required data. Thematic analysis was employed to generate results. The migrants share the motivation for economic improvement in moving to Manila. They also carry varied forms of gendered responsibilities. The lockdown yielded effects on their lives such as disrupting their labor arrangements, decreasing their income while giving them more work, and constraining their mobility. To navigate gendered precarity, they sought alternative sources of income and established positive relationships with their employer, and religion. This study recommends the government have a gender focal point in its agencies in charge to ensure that gender and class-specific implications of COVID-19 protocols are considered and to provide assistance and social protection to displaced migrant workers. Future researchers are called to explore age as a category of intersectionality along with gender and class and to consider a city in other top migration destinations in the country for comparative and in-depth investigation of the topic at hand.