Abstract
This chapter addresses the rights issues of women migrants in China in the context of their complex, lengthy, unstable, and diverse migration processes, and from a gender perspective. It first documents recent efforts by governments and relevant institutions in China to address the rights issues of women migrants. It then presents results from two recent surveys of rural-urban migrants and from subsequent in-depth interviews in Fujian Province, a major destination of rural-urban migrants in China. Although great efforts have been made and significant progress has been achieved, major rights issues still exist for women migrants. The chapter suggests that the common conceptualization of rural-urban migration as a one-way transition is oversimplified. It proposes a non-urban-centred and non-residence-based approach to migrants’ rights. Migrants require inclusion in a system of rights that extends wider than the municipality or locality level, probably to a nationally integrated system, to be adequate to their real, complex patterns of movement, instead of integration into a locality-specific system of social rights only. In addition, the chapter illustrates other policy implications that flow from a more gendersensitive analysis of key issues affecting the achievement of women migrants’ rights and social entitlements, including education and access to work after the age of forty.
This chapter is based on the results of the research project on ‘The differentiation of women migrants in the migration process and their rights issues: Case studies from Fujian Province of China’, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada (IDRC Grant number: 105447-001). It has also benefited from the authors' research supported by the Social Protection in Asia (SPA) policy research and network-building programme funded by the Ford Foundation and IDRC. The authors would like to thank the Fujian Provincial Population and Family Planning Commission for facilitating this research, and Des Gasper, Thanh-Dam Truong, and two anonymous referees for their invaluable help in the preparation and revision of this chapter.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
References
Cai, Fang, 2000: “An analysis of the political economy on Chinese cities restricting migrant worker’s access to employment” (in Chinese), in: Zhongguo Renkou Kexue [Chinese Journal of Population Science], 4: 1–10.
Chan, Kam Wing, 1996: “Post-Mao China: A two-class urban society in the making”, in: International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 20,1: 134–50.
Cook, Sarah, 2008: “The challenge of informality: Perspectives on China’s changing labor market”, in: IDS Bulletin, 39,2: 48–56.
Drafting Group of the Final Report on Rural-Urban Migrant Workers, 2006: “Report on the problems related to rural-urban migrant workers in China”, in: Project Team of the Research Office of the State Council (Eds): Zhongguo Nongmingong Diaoyan Baogao [Research Report on Rural-Urban Migrant Workers in China] (Beijing: Zhongguo Yanshi Chubanshe): 1–61.
Du, Jing, 2008: “Implementation of the ‘zero-rent’ housing: Fujian vigorously promotes housing security for ruralurban migrant workers” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.66163.com/house/newsinfo.php?id=688&lanmu=snxw> (10 September 2008).
Duan, Chengrong; Yang, Ge, 2008: “The left-behind children of migrants in rural China” (in Chinese), in: Renkou Yanjiu [Population Research], 32,3: 15–25.
Duan, Chengrong; Yang, Ge, 2008: “A study on the latest situation of the floating population’s children in China” (in Chinese), in: Renkou Xuekan [Population Journal], No. 6: 23–31.
Fan, C. Cindy, 2003: “Rural-urban migration and gender division of labor in transitional China”, in: International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 27,1: 24–47.
Fujian Statistical Bureau, 2006: Fujian Economic and Social Statistics, Population Volume (in Chinese) (Fuzhou: Fujian People’s Press).
Gao, Shusheng, 2006a: Shehuibaozhang Gaige: Hequ Hecong? [Social Security Reform: What Course to Follow?] (Beijing: Renmin University of China Press).
General Office of the State Council, 2003: “Circular on effectively accomplishing the work in the administration of and service for farmers employed in the cities” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-21170.html> (20 July 2008).
Lei, Liwei, 2007: “Laborers of Fuzhou and Xiamen have been covered by the housing security system” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.zj.chinanews.com/detail/777026.shtml> (17 October 2007).
Li, Xiaoyun; Yang, Longbo, 2007: “Thoughts about the problems of social security for rural-urban migrant workers” (in Chinese), in: Shichang yu Renkoufenxi [Market and Demographic Analysis], 13,3: 49–55.
Liang, Qi, 2005: “Ministry of Construction listed the housing issue of rural-urban migrant workers as a key of this year’s work” (in Chinese), in: <http://house.focus.cn/news/ 2005-01-08/87762.html > (11 January 2005).
Liang, Zai, 2001: “The age of migration in China”, in: Population and Development Review, 27,3: 499–524.
Liang, Zai; Chen, Yiupor, 2007: “The educational consequences of migration for children in China”, in: Social Science Research, 36,1: 28–47.
Lin, Liyue; Zhu, Yu, 2008: “Housing conditions of the floating population under the double residential status and the factors affecting them: A case study in Fujian Province” (in Chinese), in: Renkou Yanjiu [Population Research], 32,3: 48–56.
Liu, Yangyang, 2007: “Two measures of the ministry of labor and social security on resolving the issue of low payment for rural-urban migrant workers” (in Chinese); at: <www.gov.cn/jrzg/2007-01/26/content_509855.htm> (26 January 2007).
Liu, Zheng; Zhou, Tingyu, 2007: “Sun Baoshu (vice-minister of ministry of labor and social security): Government of China helps rural-urban migrant workers recover more than 433 billion Yuan in overdue wages” (in Chinese); at: <http://news.xinhuanet.com/ newscenter/2007-12/26/content_7318733.htm> (20 August 2008).
Ministry of Labor, 1994: “Interim provisions on interprovincial migration and employment of rural labors” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-18987. html> (18 July 2008).
Ministry of Construction; Ministry of Finance and People's Bank of China, 2005: “Guiding opinions of Ministry of Construction, Ministry of Finance and People's Bank of China on the issues concerning the public reserve fund management” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-39434.html> (20 July 2008).
Ministry of Construction; National Development and Reform Commission; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Labor and Social Security and Ministry of Land and Resources, 2007: “Guiding opinions on improving ruralurban migrant workers’ housing conditions” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-75019.html> (20 July 2008).
National Bureau of Statistics, Population and Employment Statistics Division & Ministry of Labor and Social Security, Planning and Finance Division, 2006: China Labor Statistical Yearbook 2005 (in Chinese) (Beijing: China Statistics Press).
National Development and Reform Commission; Ministry of Finance; Ministry of Public Security; Ministry of Labor and Social Security; Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Health; Ministry of Education; the State Council’s Office for Correcting Industrial Illegitimate Practice; and the State Population and Family Planning Commission, 2004: “Circular on further reviewing and abolishing the discriminatory provisions and irrational fees on farmers for their inter-regional employment and employment in the cities” (in Chinese); at: <www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-35684.html> (20 July 2008).
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), 2006: “Survey reports on the living quality of rural-urban migrant workers in the cities (1): Employment and social security” (in Chinese); at: <www.stats.gov.cn/_oldweb/tjfx/fxbg/t20061011_402358407.htm> (19 July 2008).
Peng, Zhaiwen; Qiao, Libin, 2005: “Dilemma and outlet of migrant workers’ social security: A perspective of social policy” (in Chinese), in: Gansu Shehui Kexue [Gansu Social Science], 6: 173–77.
Research team on the issues in the development of leftbehind children, 2004: “A research report on the issues of rural left-behind children” (in Chinese), in: Jiaoyu Yanjiu [Educational Research], 10: 15–18, 53.
Song, Jian; Hou, Jiawei, 2007: “Management of the floating population in Beijing: Seen from the perspective of policies and regulations” (in Chinese), in: Shichang yu Renkou fenxi [Market and Demographic Analysis], 13,3: 14–23.
Solinger, Dorothy J, 1999: Contesting Citizenship in Urban China: Peasant Migrants, the State, and the Logic of the Market (Berkeley: University of California Press).
Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of PRC, 2007: “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Employment Contracts” (in Chinese); at: <http://law.51labour.com/lawshow-81688.html> (20 August 2008).
The State Council, 2006: “A Few Opinions on Resolving the Issues of Rural-Urban Migrant Workers” (in Chinese); at: <http://www.51labour.com/lawcenter/lawshow-44300.html> (20 July 2008).
Wang, Guixin; Zhang, Dezhi, 2006: “A Research on the Living Conditions and Social Inclusion of Rural-Urban Migrant Workers in Shanghai Municipality” (in Chinese), in: Shichang yu Renkoufenxi [Market and Demographic Analysis], 12,5: 1–12.
Wu, Weiping, 2002: “Migrant housing in urban China: Choices and Constraints”, in: Urban Affairs Review, 38,1: 90–119.
Xiang Bin, 2007: “How far are the left-behind left behind? A preliminary study in rural China”, in: Population, Space and Place, 13,6: 179–191.
Xu Wei, 2006: “Segmented local labor markets in postreform China: Gender earnings inequality in the case of two towns in Zhejiang province”, in: Environment and Planning A, 38: 85–109.
Yang, Yunyan; Chen, Jinyong, 2000: “Segmentation and competition of the transitional labor market” (in Chinese), in: Zhongguo Shehui kexue [Social Science of China], 5: 28–38.
Zheng, Gongcheng; Huang Li, Ruolian, 2007: Zhongguo Nomingong Wenti yu Shehui Baohu [Rural-Urban Migrant Workers in China: Issues and Social Protection] (Beijing: People’s Press).
Zhu, Yu, 2003: “The floating population’s household strategy and the migration’s role in China’s regional development and integration”, in: International Journal of Population Geography, 9,6: 485–502.
Zhu, Yu, 2004: “Changing urbanization processes and in situ rural-urban transformation: Reflections on China’s settlement definitions”, in: Champion, Anthony, Gerard; Hugo, Graeme J (Eds.): New Forms of UrbanizationBeyond the Urban-Rural Dichotomy (Aldershot: Ashgate): 207–228.
Zhu, Yu, 2007: “China’s floating population and their settlement intention in the cities: Beyond the hukou reform”, in: Habitat International, 31,1: 65–76.
Zhu, Yu; Chen, Wenzhe, 2010: “The settlement intention of China’s floating population in the cities: Recent changes and multi-faceted individual-level determinants”, in: Population, Space and Place, 16,4: 253–267.
Zhu, Yu; Lin, Liyue, 2011: “The mobility patterns of ruralurban migrants and their social protection: Beyond the extension of urban-based approaches”, CSP Research Report 01, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK.
Zhu, Yu; Lin, Liyue; Wang, Bin, 2009: “Social protection for rural-urban migrants in an era of increasing population mobility and socioeconomic transformation: China’s experience since the late 1970s”, SPA working paper 2009 issue 03; at: <www.socialprotectionasia.org/pdf/CPDR-SPA-WP03.pdf> (29 January 2009).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
This chapter is published under an open access license. Please check the 'Copyright Information' section either on this page or in the PDF for details of this license and what re-use is permitted. If your intended use exceeds what is permitted by the license or if you are unable to locate the licence and re-use information, please contact the Rights and Permissions team.
Copyright information
© 2014 The Author(s)
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Zhu, Y., Lin, L. (2014). 8 From ‘Integration into Cities’ to ‘An Integrated Society’: Women Migrants’ Needs and Rights in Fujian Province, China. In: Truong, TD., Gasper, D., Handmaker, J., Bergh, S. (eds) Migration, Gender and Social Justice. Hexagon Series on Human and Environmental Security and Peace, vol 9. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28012-2_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-28012-2_8
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-28011-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-28012-2
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)