THOSE WHO STAY BEHIND | What Bihar’s Women Do after Men Migrate

January 28, 2023
By Surabhi Singh

Neelam Devi, from India's Bihar state, and her family were once unable to afford basic necessities such as oil for cooking, clothing, and even soap for personal hygiene. This dire situation forced her husband to leave and work as a labourer in Delhi, hundreds of kilometres away. Though they are now able to afford food, her two daughters still had to drop out of school. Devi's biggest concern is now the state of her house, which needs urgent repair. Like Devi's husband, around 4 million people migrate from Bihar every year, leaving the women in the family to work hard in their villages. Devi expresses that while she misses her husband, survival takes precedence over all other emotions.