Community Support System for International Women Workers
A Sociological Study in East Java Villages
Emy Susanti
Faculty of Social and Political Science, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
Keywords: women migrant workers, community support system, gender and family, qualitative methodology.
Abstract: This paper is intended to analyze the lives of International women workers from a different point of view that
is to reveal the lives of their families in the villages of origin. This paper is based on a study conducted in 2
(two) villages in East Java Province; there were the village of Arjowilangun, the Region of Malang and the
village of Jetis, the Region of Madiun. The study using the Feminist perspectives based on qualitative
research, incorporating quantitative data. The subjects of this study for two areas of study were 20 informants
and 200 respondents of the family members, community leaders, former International women migrant
workers and their neighbours. The data collection techniques were indepth interviews dan interviews using
questionnaires. The facts indicate that problems faced by women working abroad were the absence of wife
and mother figures in the lives of the families left behind for a long term. Accordingly, the families have
developed specific mechanisms for maintaining the integrity and well-being of their families. This paper
provides an analysis of the important roles of the community support system for the lives of their families in
the villages.
1 INTRODUCTION
East Java Province is one of the four biggest areas in
Indonesia as the places of origin of women working
abroad to neighbour countries. It is obvious that
problems faced by women and their families did not
deter the Indonesian women to work abroad. Previous
studies on the issues of International women migrant
workers more focused on the problems faced by
women migrant workers in the process of departure
and return, and their problems they faced overseas.
Previous studies also focused merely on the law
perspective since there were many violations of the
rules in the handling of International women migrant
workers in Indonesia.
Basically the issues of International migrant
women workers is not only the problems faced by
women themselves, but also the problems faced by
their families left behind. Working abroad for women
are promising, but the work risks also very big either
in other countries as well as problems of family
members in the Village. The previous study shows
that vulnerability of women working abroad begins
from the problems faced by the family left behind
since the main goal of women working overseas is to
contribute family income in order to improve the
family welfare (Susanti H, Emy. 2011)
Based on the fact that the number of women
migrants working abroad from Indonesia increase
significantly, this paper is intended to analyze the
lives of International women workers from a different
point of view, that is to reveal the lives of their
families in the villages of origin.
An understanding of the family ties and
community support system are very important as this
can reveal social realities behind the facts that some
women still work abroad with many risks and
problems. The paper try to uncover how the family in
the village back home survive and maintain the
integrity of the family and even increase the family
welfare and education of their children. Finally, the
paper is also intended to explain how important the
community support system in the Village back home
for the lives of women migrant workers and their
families.
Working abroad as a migrant female worker
promises great salaries, but the risks to be borne out
are also great both in other countries and the problems
of family members being invited and abandoned.
Through this study is expected to contribute to the
complexity of the problems faced by migrant women
412
Susanti, E.
Community Support System for International Women Workers - A Sociological Study in East Java Villages.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sociology Education (ICSE 2017) - Volume 1, pages 412-421
ISBN: 978-989-758-316-2
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved

migrant workers abroad, especially their families
residing in the country.
Most of the migran women workers status have
been married and even many have children. As part
of the family, children are the ones who most need the
role of family and parents. Parents have an
irreplaceable obligation to the child. Caring,
nurturing, and educating children can not be fulfilled
when parents work as migrant workers abroad.
Working abroad as a migrant female worker
promises great salaries, but the risks to be borne out
are also great both in other countries and the problems
of family members being invited and abandoned. The
vulnerability of migrant workers should be detected
and initiated from the most basic of knowing the
response to the knowledge of women workers who
will plan to become migrant workers, being a migrant
worker, and stop / have become women migrant
workers. This paper is intended to unrevealing the
complexity of the problems faced by women workers
abroad, especially their families who were left in the
country.
This paper is based on a study conducted in 2
(two) villages in East Java Province; there were the
village of Arjowilangun, the Region of Malang and
the village of Jetis, the Region of Madiun. The study
using the Feminist perspectives based on qualitative
research, incorporating quantitative data. The
subjects of this study were family members,
community leaders, former International women
migrant workers and their neighbours. The data
collection techniques were indepth interviews (20
informants) dan interviews using questionnaires (200
respondents).
2 THE POWER OF COMMUNITY
SUPPORT SYSTEM IN THE
VILLAGES
Community in the Origin Village of women migrant
workers has proven to have developed a support
system for the family's survival. Various forms of
community support each has its own strength. The
following describes how the strength of the
community support system for the survival of the
former women migrant workers and their families.
From the data in table 1, it is seen that those who
participate in handling problems in domestic tasks,
such as cooking, cleaning house, washing clothes and
so on about half of the family of women migrant
workers that handles are husband / wife's parents
(48.3%). Similarly, if there is a problem for the care
of children for those who still have children under 7
years, about half of the women migrant workers
families are surrendered to the husband / wife's
parents, although the husband's own role in childcare
affairs is quite large (23.8%) more or less the same
The magnitude of the role of the husband with the role
of other larger children, neighbors and other parties in
helping the affairs of parenting (28.6%). Meanwhile,
to handle the problem of children's learning, women
migrant worker’s families in addition to relying on
the role of parent husband / wife (36.9%) and other
relatives, such as older children or neighbors and
others such as by participating in tutoring / tutoring
(39.3%).
Table 1: Problems faced by families in Malang Regency.
* Source: Primary Data
No The Problems
Who handling the problems
Husband
Parent/
Parent In Law
Extended
Family’s
Members
Neighbors
F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%)
1. Domestic Burden 24 20.0 58 48.3 6 5 32 26.7
2. Parenting
20 23.8 36 42.8 4 4.8 24 28.6
3. Take care of Child’s
learning at home
16 19 31 36.9 4 4.8 33 39.3
4. Handling Sick Child
26 31.0 36 42.9 6 7.1 16 19
5. Handling Sick
Husband
36 30.0 49 40.8 4 3.4 31 25.8
Community Support System for International Women Workers - A Sociological Study in East Java Villages
413

Meanwhile, when facing the problem of sick
children, about half of the women migrant worker’s
families rely on the assistance of the parents in law
(42.9%). Thus also the case when the husband is sick,
about half of the families of women migrant workers
also rely on the assistance of husband / (40.8%). This
shows that the problems faced by women migrant
workers families revolve around domestic affairs,
children's affairs and husband's affairs can basically
be handled. As stated by the husband of women
migrant worker;
“ ……. I take care of myself.... assisted by my
mother as well …. also by my brother…. so it's not a
problem …. equally help each other and understand
each other “(Mr. Damai, 50 years old, Husband,
Arjowilangun Village, Malang Regency)
Nevertheless, from the data obtained in
Arjowilangun Village, Malang Regency shows that
this problem is not too much of a problem because of
the role of extended family, relatives, especially in
domestic affairs, parenting, child and husband affairs
when ill. Data obtained in Arjowilangun village of
Malang shows that only the child's learning affairs
role of other parties such as neighbors and guidance
learn more help.
Furthermore, compared with the problems faced
by the families of women migrant workers in
Arjowilangun village of Malang, the problems faced
by women migrant worker’s families in Jetis Madiun
Village showed a slightly different picture. In relation
to the handling of domestic tasks such as cooking,
washing clothes, cleaning the house, the women
migrant worker’s families in Jetis Madiun Village
relies on the assistance of the husband / wife's parents
(36.25%). Nevertheless, the role of children,
neighbors and other parties in handling domestic
affairs is also quite large (26.25%). Then for the
handling of childcare affairs, the role of husband /
wife parents is quite large (29.03%), although the
other children, neighbors and other parties are also
quite big (29.03%), so the role of husband is also big
enough in child care (22.58%) (See in table 2).
Table 2: Problems faced by families in Madiun Regency.
*) Source: Primary Data
As for the handling of problems related to sick
children and sick husbands, it is seen that the role of
husband is quite big in handling sick children
(32.26%), as big as the role of husband / wife
(30.64%). For the handling of husbands when sick,
most of them play more than half are husbands alone
(56.25%), meaning that the husband himself is trying
to handle himself when sick and can be overcome. A
substantial role is also provided from children,
neighbors and others such as health workers (27.50%)
for handling when the husband is sick.
Comparing the reality in Arjowilangun Village
Malang and Jetis Madiun Village about the problems
faced by the families of domestic workers to handle
domestic problems, raising children, learning
children, when children and husbands are sick, show
a slightly different pattern and tendency. In Jetis
Village of Malang Regency, the role of husband is
greater in the effort to handle family problems,
especially when handling the sick (56.25%)
compared to the husband's handling role when sick in
Arjowilangun Village, Malang Regency (30.0%).
No The Problems
Who handling the problems
Husband
Parent/ Parent
In Law
Extended
Family’s
Members
Neighbors
F (%) F (%) F (%) F (%)
1. Domestic Burden
23 23.00 36 36.00 15 15.00 27 27.00
2. Parenting
23 23.00 29 29.03 19 19.00 29 29.03
3. Take care of Child’s
learning at home
15 24.19 13 20.97 13 20.97 21 33.87
4. Handling Sick Child
20 32.26 19 30.64 13 20.97 10 16.13
5. Handling Sick
Husband
45 56.25 13 16.25 0 0 22 27.50
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414

Understanding the problems of families of
migrant workers in the area of origin can be seen from
the problems most often faced by children. Realities
in Arjowilangun Village, Malang Regency and in
Jetis Village of Madiun Regency turned out to show
that basically the children of WOMEN MIGRANT
WORKERS in the area of origin did not experience
significant problems. It is shown from the data that
most (64.28%) of children in Arjowilangun village of
Malang can be categorized as having no problems
when left their mother's work abroad. Even in Desa
Jetis Madiun, children who have no problem
(82.25%) when abandoned their mothers abroad
much more than children in the village Arjowilangun
Malang.
Although there are generally no problems with the
children, but children in Arjowilangun village of
Malang have few problems with education, where
16.67% of children have educational problems. The
educational problem here is apparently related to the
guidance of the child's learning.
From the data obtained, it can be said that the
children did not experience significant problems. This
can be evidenced from the reality that the children
migrant workers do not have difficulty completing the
school, and even some who excel in school. A woman
migrant worker’s husband recounts the following
“ …. Thanks to God, my first son is a good
student and got a good achievement …. I also entrust
my son to his teacher to advise my son if there is
something wrong at school …. I tell the teacher that
his mother is working overseas so if there is anything
please help my son ….” (Mr Ali, 38 years old,
husband, Jetis Village, Madiun Regency)
Finally it can be deduced that contrary to the
general assumption that many children of women
migrant workers are problematic, this study shows
that in general, the children did not experience
significant problems when their mothers leave for
their jobs abroad.
Table 3: Sources of money loan.
No. Sources
Madiun
Regency
Malang
Regency
F % F %
1.
Parent / Parent
in Law
5 6.25 10 8.33
2.
Members of
Extended
Family
33 41.25 43 35.83
3. Neighbour 7 8.75 6 5
No. Sources
Madiun
Regency
Malang
Regency
F % F %
4.
The Boss,
Cooperative
2 2.5 12 10
5.
Never Borrow
Money
33 41.25 49 40.84
Total 80 100 120 100
*) Source: Primary Data
The following discloses a community support
system for husbands and children left behind by their
wives and mothers for long periods of time. The
acceptance of the village community is certainly very
helpful for women migrant worker’s families to
maintain the family integrity. As for their wives and
mothers, they return to the village at least after 2 years
working abroad. Women migrant workers from
Arjowilangun Village Malang, more than half
(60.22%) return to their village every 2 years. Even
about one-third of women migrant workers have
never been home, or returning to their village every
for 3 years (28.41%). Similarly, women migrant
workers from Jetis Madiun Village, almost half who
returned to their village every 2 years (40.3%), even
more than half of women migrant workers from Jetis
Madiun Village returned to their village once every 3
years (28.41%). Nevertheless, the families can still
maintain the integrity of the family thanks to the long-
established community support system because in the
village there are many women working abroad.
Especially when the migrant worker returns to his
village, it appears that when the women migrant
workers return to the village they only stay in the
Village for a while, the majority stay 1 month or
more. If the wives of migrant workers migrate to
work contracts, they can stay in the village longer, but
if they come home on leave when they are under
contract, they only stay in the village for a maximum
of one month. See data on time Returning migrant
workers to their respective villages, this depends on
their willingness to renew the employment contract or
not. Whether they can still work with one agency, one
employer and the same country, or one agent with a
different employer or country.
The absence of wife and mother's role does not
overly disturb the survival of the families of migrant
workers in their home villages as they develop
specific mechanisms to utilize information
technology, as is described by the husband of the
following migrant workers; (Mr. Damai, 50 years old,
woman migrant worker’s husband, Community
Leader, Arjowilangun Village, Madiun). It appears
that the families of women migrant workers have
Community Support System for International Women Workers - A Sociological Study in East Java Villages
415

developed specific mechanisms to continue to
maintain their family whilst living separately for
many years. One of the mechanisms they develop for
the survival of families is related to the psychological
condition of family members is to use the
sophistication of information technology. The ease of
calling abroad is very helpful families to stay in
communication between their husbands, wives and
children.
Furthermore, socially the village community is
also very supportive with the shift of social values and
norms that are built through social discourse that
everyday developing in their life. As expressed by a
woman migrant worker’s husband the following
shows how the values and social norms about the role
of women in the family that apply in the life of the
community of Jetis Madiun Village. The explanation
told by the husband of woman migrant worker
showed the community support system to the
existence of women migrant workers’ families has
been built in such a way (Mr Purnomo, 45 years old,
husband, Jetis Village, Madiun Regency).
It happened because in Jetis village many women
work abroad since many years ago. That is why
village community does not look at odd family
without the existence of wife or mother of their
children. A Village Leader who is also husband of
woman migrant worker also explain how the
community support system for family has been built
through a long process. Ideal family values and norms
are also shifting. The social facts show how social
discourse develops in the village communities and
where their families live.
This condition in the village is certainly very
helpful for women migrant workers’ families so that
they feel psychologically accepted by the community
of the village, even this can be said as a form of
support of the community for the existence of women
migrant workers’ families living comfortably in the
village. The social discourse that develops around the
family's social order can also be identified from the
narrative of the children of migrant workers as they
reflect the values and social norms of the young
generation. One of woman migrant worker’s daughter
said the following;
"...... .should be a father who works to earn
money …. but looking for work is not easy ....... such
in the village, besides here the wife who works abroad
also common..... especially the reason of working
overseas is for the benefit of me and my family at
home …. so for me whoever is working for a living
not a problem ...... that is important to support each
other and communication is running smoothly ....”
(Ms Krisdiana, 18 years old, daughter of women
workers, Jetis Village, Madiun Regency)
What a woman migrant workers’ son said shows
how the social discourse that develops around family
life for the younger generation shows how a 'gender
ideology' shifts around the role of their mothers and
fathers. It clearly shows that the Village community
is well-receptive to the presence of women migrant
workers’ families. The acceptance of the village
community to the presence of women migrant
workers’ families is obvious. The community
supported the status and role of women working
abroad despite their 'ideal' admission of women does
not have to work much less abroad.
Thus it can be concluded that the survival
mechanism of the women migrant workers’ families
in the village of origin is based on community support
system. The traditional community support system
developed social ties between families and neighbors
and youth societies. The modern community support
system was the use of new information technology
and modern social institutions such as counseling
institutions and cooperatives. A husband also tells
how the village strongly accept the existence of
family workers as described:
"Yes it's normal ......... because here in the
community is common wives working abroad, so the
possibility of people talking negatively is not there
...." (Mr Supriyanto, 40 years old, husband, Malang
Regency)
As mentioned by the husband of woman migrant
worker above, it clearly shows how the community
support system that has been built naturally for many
years so that the families survive and were able foster
the integrity of their families. In addition to the
community support system built in the village of
origin, the following also described the support
system provided to women migrant workers’ families
from Government and Private.
Furthermore, the following illustrates the
community support system that is institutionalized
into a social institution. In Malang Regency grow
welfare of the community develops well thanks to the
existence of people who work as migrant workers.
This is also assisted by the support of community
built by village apparatus and citizens in order to
advance the village into a better village. The families
left behind also communicate more with the "Senang
Hati" Cooperative in the local village. This
cooperative also helps to monitor the condition of
overseas migrant workers. Occasionally,
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416

cooperatives committee go to the destination country
to monitor the facilities received and the problems
faced by women migrant workers. Manpower
Supplier which standby in destination country. In
addition to monitoring the condition of Women
migrant workers, this cooperative also empower the
families and the former or retired women migrant
workers by providing capital as well as the
convection business belonging to the cooperative
whose employees are the families women migrant
workers. Cooperatives who have built community
support systems are spoken by a Cooperative
Management as follows;
"We, in the Cooperative, help to monitor the
migrant workers who are abroad. Its main function is
to empower former migrant workers to be self-
sufficient …. and not to fail in their own country ….
So that they are not always to be separated with their
family" (Mrs Ririn, 35 years old, Committee of The
‘Senang Hati’ Cooperative, Malang Regency).
This cooperative also acts as a deposit container
for the international migrant workers who want to
save the income earned during the migrant worker, so
that when the return will still have results. With this
cooperative, the international migrant workers also
get a mutually beneficial relationship and able to
provide good prospects in the future, both for migrant
workers and families, as well as for the Cooperative
"Senang Hati" itself.
Meanwhile, growing youth institutions called
HIMPPIS which is a community in Arjowilangun a
local village youth association called ‘HIMPPIS’.
This institution is a place for groups of youth in the
Arjowilangun village, Malang Regency organize
activities for youth.
These activities include activities that must be
done annually in the village and supporting activities.
Annual activities are always done is a clean village
that is also celebrated while celebrating Indonesia's
Independence Day in August. Almost all village
youth become members of this HIMPPIS. Girls are
teenagers with levels ranging from junior high school
to infinity. Peen who have not yet married also
became senior for new members to advance
Arjowilangun Village.
Unlike the conditions in Arjowilangun Village,
Malang Regency where community support system
has been developed and institutionalized, in Jetis
Village, Dagangan Sub-district, Madiun Regency
there is no institutional community support system
that able to facilitate related to women migrant
workers. Village apparatus only serve the needs
before the departure of migrant workers and distribute
the income of migrant workers sent by postal money
orders sent using the village address first. While in
Madiun, the community support is only economically
limited to Village Unit Cooperative (KUD) which
serves mandatory savings and loans. Most of the
members are farmers, traders or entrepreneurs who
develop in Jetis Village. There is no container that
helps women migrant workers’ family to manage
related finance with the economic field. The existence
of Pagottan Sugar Factory was not too much to help
the economy of the surrounding residents. CSR is
done only limited to the provision of groceries in the
milling season. Recruitment of employees from the
surrounding villages is quite limited. This also causes
the unemployment rate in Jetis Village is still high. In
addition, the implementation of MSMEs is not
running maximally, so if people want a live
improvement, must get out of the village to find
livelihoods that can be used for daily needs. In the
field of youth, this Jetis Village does not have a fairly
specific pemudaan community. Youth -the village
drivers are only activated in connection with the
activities of the mosque alone. Not many Karang
Taruna are owned by Jetis Village. And Karang
Taruna Jetis Village also does not run actively unless
there are big celebrations like Indonesian
Independence Day, New Year, and Other Religious
Activities. Spoken by the husband of women migrant
worker follows clearly describes the support of family
and village communities as follows
"......... the neighbor and the community members
here are very good to us.... because almost all of these
villagers work to become migrant workers abroad,
men and women …. there is no job for villagers who
only graduated from junior high school …. “(Mr. Ali,
38 years old, husband, Jetis Village, Madiun
Regency)
It appears that the families of women migrant
workers have developed specific mechanisms to
maintain the integrity of their families despite living
separately for many years. The community support
system for the families of migrant workers in East
Java can be categorized in two, namely traditional
community support systems and institutionalized
community support systems. The more traditional
community support system take place through the
mechanism of externalization of social values and
norms that are reproduced from one to next
generations. The mothers and wives working
overseas are considered as a family hero who can
solve economic problems in their families.
Community Support System for International Women Workers - A Sociological Study in East Java Villages
417

3 SOCIOLOGICAL--FEMINIST
PERSPECTIVES ON GENDER
RELATIONS IN THE MIGRANT
WOMEN’S FAMILIES AND
COMMUNITY
The sociological feminist theory in this paper is
derived from Foucault’s theory of power relations.
Foucault describes power from the side of social
discourse. According to Foucault (Foucault, M, 2002:
102-110), a discourse can dominate the human
mindset over a particular worldview. In addition,
discourse is also a source that can change the view of
a human person who will be able to regulate the social
body and individual body. The discourse is the
knowledge gained by man when he gets a new thing
in explaining the same thing. New views derived from
new knowledge possessed by a human can influence
other mindsets and then new knowledge affects the
mindset of a group of communities or society at large.
Foucault explains that discourse is able to dominate a
time in history and a place in the world so that humans
have a certain frame of mind or worldview in
explaining a thing.
Foucault's thinking implies a close connection
between knowledge and power. Power exists when a
person has knowledge. When that knowledge is
acquired and the ownership increases, the share of
power will always increase. As mentioned before, the
power relations described by Michel Foucault argues
that power is not only because of material
possessions, but knowledge is also related to the
power that exists. Knowledge is also not derived from
formal education alone but the knowledge is the
ability of the surrounding environment to provide
new culture and discourse in the change of mindset,
social behavior and decision making in determining
decisions, mainly related to household.
Culture itself, not just based on the culture that is
in the community only, but culture means a return to
its definition, that is, the customs of society. And the
habit of influencing the change of power relation is
obtained from the new environment, not just the
environment. The further a person enters a new
world, outside of the domestic world, then a person,
especially a woman, will increasingly abandon the
old culture and use her new culture which is then
applied in her daily life and ultimately influence the
power relation within the society, especially the
family environment.
The use of power is as a form to build the human
(female) ability to attach a meaning to the human
experience. The power possessed by man or woman
in particular is to have its own meaning in accordance
with what they run. Women who work as migrant
workers abroad bring up roles relating to the
substitution of his role as a mother, a housewife and
a woman working in the public sector.
The role that belongs to a possessed knowledge to
get their own mastery in accordance with their
mindset and meaning they have on the role they run.
The roles that women have given meaning to women
according to their role. Then they perform the role
according to the meaning they understand (mindset).
Produce one's own beliefs or meanings for others
around the role that he does that keeps him in that
position. Furthermore, the role power that women
have to produce a knowledge that then processed into
a discourse to gain power.
These women's powers still have to be monitored
for what women have. The existence of men and the
values and norms that exist in society make women
have control for themselves. As Foucault discloses,
humans must still assess what should be done and
should not be done in connection with existing
knowledge and cultural knowledge that can be used
as a guide to behave.
Meanwhile, using the Feminist Theory, this study
shows how the support of the community takes place,
particularly with regard to the gender relations. The
facts indicate that the economic contribution of
women migrant workers as domestic workers have a
positive impact on economic welfare of their families.
However, unlike the life and condition of other
villages of international women workers, this
Arjowilangun village is a developed area where many
migrant workers did not return to work abroad.
Therefore, Arjowilangun village since last year was
declared by the Local Government as a successful
international women migrant workers’ area.
The absence of the wife and mother in the life of
the families have developed specific mechanisms for
maintaining the integrity and well-being of their
families. It seems that the families managed to
develop a specific mechanism to maintain the unity
of their family’s live. The mechanism of family life
of migrant women in Arjowilangun village, East Java
Province, relied on two things, namely the traditional
community support system and the institutionalized
community support system.
Besides bringing revenue or income, the women
migrant workers also bring the values and social
norms that they get in the countries where they work.
The study shows that the family welfare in the village
back home has improved. At the same time, there
were changes in terms of social and cultural values in
the lives of women migrant workers and their families
back home. In other words, there have been a social
support system in the lives of women migrant
workers and their families back home, particularly in
the gender relations.
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Feminist Perspective argued that ‘gender
identities are not fixed but rather are continually
constructed in particular times and places’ (Hamilton,
R. in Cook, Nancy, 2007). The gender identities in
this community are continually constructed during
the absence of women as wife’s and mothers of the
children’s for years. Therefore, the process of shifting
in gender relations take some forms. In everyday life,
household management is generally done by the
husband, such as cooking, cleaning the house and
child care. The children help their father to take care
of other child when they we sick. The family usually
get the assistance from the grandmother and aunt to
take care of the sick children. So it can be said that
the problems faced by the families successfully
addressed and managed through the role of husband
and children themselves.
The husbands of migrant women developed a
mechanism that supports the sustainability of their
household without the presence of wives. In this
Arjowilangun village, the majority of husbands never
cheat and no divorce. In this village also growing
family-run consulting service along with Cooperative
activities. In the Arjowilangun village rapidly
growing economic system in the form of Cooperative
‘Senang Hati’. It underpins cooperative economic
needs of migrant families abroad through the
activities of savings and loans, working capital loans,
marketing product and helped monitor the condition
of migrant workers abroad.
The social interaction and the social roles of the
family’s members in the community based on the
values of gender egalitarian. It has been argued that
gender egalitarian values were reproduced from one
generation to another, that was women working
abroad to meet the families’ needs in order to solve
the economic problems. The community did not see a
family without the presence of wives and mothers as
seen no good, otherwise the communities see women
migrant workers’ families as successful families. This
successful proven from the improvement of their
economic conditions and their families unity.
Besides, for families and communities, the husband
taking care of domestic affairs and children was not
something that is a disgrace, even very much
appreciated and supported by relatives and the
community.
This study indicates that the values of egalitarian
gender relations was the basic family survival
mechanisms of migrant women and this was
supported by the community. Based on the values of
egalitarian gender roles for men and women, the
problematic issues for the family of migrant women
workers in the Village in addressing domestic affairs
can be resolved. The egalitarian gender division of
labor within the family was applied, dividing the roles
of husband, wife and children. This more egalitarian
gender relations was also supported by the
community through the traditional institution such as
extended family and neighborhood, and also the
growing institutions such as Cooperative.
It is obvious that many of the problems faced by
families of women migrant workers in the Village
were not resolved and the nuclear family may even be
broken when the gender relations was less egalitarian.
In this case, families of migrant women and the
community becomes vulnerable. Therefore, an
understanding the shifting process of gender relations
is very important since the gender relations are the
basis of social relations in community life.
4 CONCLUSIONS
The majority of women migrant workers were in a
productive age category with formal education
majority have high school education. While the
destination of the Country for the most female
workers were Taiwan and Hong Kong. The majority
of female migrant workers work overseas for 4 years
or less, but some migrant workers have worked for
more than 6 years. Revenue earned by majority of
women migrant workers was at least 4 million rupiah
per month. The migrant workers originally worked
abroad half of them were invited by friends /
neighbors, and some were invited extension workers
from labor agencies (PJTKI).
The problems faced by the families of women
migrant workers abroad living in the area of East Java
Province found in this study revolve around issues of
education and care for children. Nevertheless,
children benefited from the rapid development of
information technology and institutions outside the
nuclear family. The husband can also overcome the
problem of child care and education. The majority of
these families are left by their mothers abroad when
their children were under five. In the daily life of
household management is generally carried out by
husbands themselves, such as cooking, cleaning and
caring for children. If anyone helps to care for a sick
child, it is usually the husband / wife's parents and
aunt. Thus it can be said that the problems faced by
the families of women migrant workers successfully
overcome and managed properly through the role of
husband and children themselves.
The community support system for the families of
women migrant workers living in the area of East
Java Province can be shown from the results of this
study. The families of women migrant workers
developed a mechanism to maintain family survival
specific to the integrity of households and nuclear
families. The developed mechanism relies more on
the strength of the nuclear family than on relatives or
Community Support System for International Women Workers - A Sociological Study in East Java Villages
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neighbors. Families also take advantage of
institutions outside the nuclear family, especially for
education, such as the Pesantren and the Institute for
Tutoring. As for health, although the role of siblings
is still important, but many families use of health
facilities from the Government such as Social
Security Health. In terms of finances, family and
brother assistance is also important, but
simultaneously they also rely on the role of the
Cooperative. Furthermore for their children, the
physical absence of a mother does not seem to
interfere with children's lives much. The children of
many WOMEN MIGRANT WORKERS families
who perform well in various fields locally and
nationally. For women migrant workers’ husbands,
they can develop mechanisms that support the
sustainability of their households without the
presence of a wife. The results of this study indicate
that the husband who had an affair only a small part,
no divorce case Found.
Women migrant workers’ families develop
specific mechanisms to continue to maintain the
integrity of their families despite living separately for
many years. The survival mechanism of the families
of migrant workers in East Java is based on two
things, namely traditional community support
systems and institutionalized community support
systems. The more traditional community support
system is through the mechanism of externalization
of social values and norms that are reproduced from
one other generations that women working overseas
are like a family hero who can solve economic
problems in their families.
The system of community support within the
family of migrant women workers can be seen from
the development of social institutions in the
economic, youth and family. From this study, the
most prominent is the growing community support
system in Malang Regency, especially in
Arjowilangun Village, Kalipare Sub-district. In the
village of Arjowilangun grow rapidly economic
institutions in the form of Cooperative ‘Senang Hati’.
This cooperative that sustains the economic needs of
foreign migrant families through savings and loan
activities, business capital loans, the marketing of
family products of migrant workers and migrant
workers and helps to monitor the condition of
overseas migrant workers. Meanwhile, there are also
growing youth institutions, namely youth association
of young people from junior high school age up to age
before marriage. The Village Youth Association
holds numerous sports events, village cleanliness and
village security. This youth institution is a
psychological and social support for the children so
that children are focused on positive activities. In
addition, there are also growing institutions
supporting the integrity of the families in the form of
Family Consultation Bureau which is covered by
Local Government. Community support system for
the families of women migrants abroad more
specifically developed in Arjowilangun Village,
Malang Regency. Meanwhile in Jetis Village,
Madiun Regency there is no specific community
support system for women migrant workers’ families.
In the village of Jetis, Madiun Regency, there are
several cases of divorce among young families whose
wives become migrant workers.
The data shows that the existence of community
activities is a strength point of the community support
system for the women migrant workers. This study
finds a number of activities that can be categorized as
community support systems that are beneficial to the
survival of families.
Based on this study it can be recommended that
specific survival mechanism to the family of
international migrant women can be used as input for
the family empowerment strategy. With the approach
of the gender perspective, the more equal gender
relations should became mainstream in the family
empowerment strategy. Furthermore, family
empowerment strategy should be implemented in the
empowerment program but Local Government.
Therefore, the empowerment of migrant women’s
families can meet the needs of the entire families’
needs and will impact to the improvement of the
welfare of the community as a whole.
The facts indicate that problems faced by women
working abroad were the absence of wife and mother
figures in the lives of the families left behind for a
long term. Accordingly, the families have developed
specific mechanisms for maintaining the integrity and
well-being of their families.
The important thing reveals from the study was
the growing of community support systems in the
villages. This paper provides an analysis of the
important roles of the community support system for
the lives of their families in the villages. There were
two forms of community support system growed; (a)
conventional community support system; (b) modern
community support system. Using the Social
Reproduction Theory, this paper has explained and
analyzed how the process of social reproduction of
more equal gender values and gender relations takes
place. An understanding of the gender values and
gender relations has been uncovered how the family
in the Village back home survive and maintain the
integrity of the family and even increase the family
welfare and education of their children.
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