Voices of the Silent: An Oral History of Chinese Migrant Workers

Author: Pan Yi et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The experience of Oxfam in China's development aid projects lies in strengthening partnerships with governments at all levels, universities, research institutions, civil organizations, and impoverished and vulnerable groups. Under the premise of collaborative efforts across society, the goals of poverty alleviation and rights protection are achieved, jointly addressing the issues faced by migrant workers, laid-off workers, informal workers, especially women and people with disabilities. Whether such efforts succeed depends on whether, during brainstorming sessions, the voices of millions of working people are reflected and whether their voices can be ensured to be heard.
"The Voices of the Voiceless—Chinese Migrant Women's Narratives" is a commendable attempt by "Women Workers' Care." It records the voices of grassroots migrant women in a direct and comprehensive manner, making them truly the subjects of development and practicing the right to express opinions. The book documents the stories of 16 migrant women. Upon arriving in the city with aspirations, they often face: daily overtime work, threats of occupational diseases and work-related injuries, unpaid wages and physical humiliation, as well as the indifference and discrimination of the city. However, they do not know how to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and even when they resist, it is often difficult to achieve comprehensive victories. Yet why do they keep pouring into the city? Why do they move to the city, then return to their hometowns, and then go back to the city again? Is migrant labor in the city merely to earn a little more income or to broaden their horizons? There is one thing certain: the prosperity of the city depends on the hard work of migrant women, and therefore, they should not be made to shed bitter tears!