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Working gendered boundaries : temporary migration experiences of
Bangladeshi women in the Malaysian export industry from a multi-sited
perspective
Rudnick, A.M.
Publication date
2009
Link to publication
Citation for published version (APA):
Rudnick, A. M. (2009). Working gendered boundaries : temporary migration experiences of
Bangladeshi women in the Malaysian export industry from a multi-sited perspective.
Vossiuspers - Amsterdam University Press.
http://nl.aup.nl/books/9789056295608-working-gendered-boundaries.html
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This PhD project took shape over an extended period of time. I was once told that a PhD is about perseverance, which I came to understand to be true. However, my study would not have taken off let alone been completed without the invaluable support, assistance and feedback provided by many people.
I am particularly grateful to the Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO) for funding this study, and to the Amsterdam Institute for Metropolitan and International Development Studies (AMIDSt) for hosting and lending me support. My thanks go to Ton Dietz, who nudged me to consider doing a PhD and then stimulated me with his enthusiasm. I should also like to thank Geertje Lycklama à Nijeholt, who wholeheartedly supported me both while I was writing the research proposal and during the first part of the project. Geertje drew my atten-tion to particularly relevant literature and shared her intimate knowledge of the field. I am greatly indebted to my supervisors Isa Baud, Ad de Bruijne and Lorraine Nencel. Isa never ceased to give me her timely and relevant comments on the vario-us versions of the chapters; she helped me sharpen my arguments and kept me going forwards. This was especially encouraging at those times when I was feeling a little lost in the project. I am very grateful to her. Ad’s enthusiasm, conviction and valua-ble comments were highly appreciated, as were Lorraine’s. The input Lorraine pro-vided was particularly valuable when I was trying to come to grips with the qualita-tive data, as she helped me to appreciate the richness and value of the data I had gathered. I thank all three for their support and the knowledge they shared with me. Moreover, the grace and determination with which they supported me when things were exceedingly rough in my personal life meant much to me. In this respect, I also wish to thank Joke Schrijvers: the professional and personal support she provided during this period was very much appreciated.
The fieldwork I performed and the time I spent in Malaysia and Bangladesh were both scientifically successful and personally enriching, thanks to several people. First, I am grateful and indebted to three women who at various stages of the field-work joined and assisted me. Hasina Ahmed accompanied me to Malaysia during my first round of fieldwork. Her deep insights, hard work and considerable tact were of great value during the data gathering period. Many of the migrant women and men I met felt comforted by meeting Hasina. In Dhaka, Hasina also assisted me in her free time. She and her sisters generously opened their house to me, and their friendship (and great meals!) made me feel at home. Jenneke Arens joined me during the second fieldwork period in Malaysia. Her experience and no-nonsense attitude impressed not only me but also the migrant women we met. I highly appre-ciated the laughter and insights we shared. Syeda Farhana provided me with a place to live in Dhaka, and soon became a friend and a much appreciated research compa-nion. She accompanied me to most of the interviews and visits to returned migrants in Bangladesh; in 2004 and 2006, she conducted several repeat visits. Syeda is such 9
a gifted listener. Her genuine interest and kindness made people of various ages and backgrounds feel comfortable enough to share their lives with us. Her contributions to this study were invaluable. I feel very fortunate to have had the pleasure of wor-king with all three of these women. They not only translated and assisted me in the data gathering process, but also made a great contribution to this study by sharpe-ning my mind during the many lively discussions we had. I treasure the laughter, friendship, adventures and good humour (particularly when things took an unexpec-ted course) we shared.
As for the fieldwork in Malaysia, I am very grateful to my friend Patrick Pillai. He is an authority in the field of migration in Malaysia and beyond, and encouraged me to proceed with the PhD when the idea first came up. I thank Patrick for sharing his insights during our discussions and email correspondence, and for his continuous encouragement and support throughout the project. I am greatly indebted to my friend Kenneth Perkins, who is general secretary of the Penang Textile and Garment Workers Union. He never ceased to assist me in my work: he not only provided me with knowledge and local contacts, but also took me out for lunch and for jogs through the hills with his running group. My heartfelt gratitude goes to Dato’ Anwar Fazal and his wife for the fruitful discussions we had and the assistance they provided. Azzizah Kassim, Celia Ng and Diane Wong shared their expertise with me, which was highly appreciated. I also thank Sepu for helping me to get in touch with Bangladeshi migrants and for sharing his experiences with me.
I am more than grateful to all my friends in Malaysia who made my stay a success (and truly enjoyable when I was not working, but sharing meals, making trips and going out dancing with them!). I thank Maura and Hai Long, Rachel Abraham, Ken-neth Khoo, Sharuna Verghis, Michael Chai and Janet, Susan Siew, Elise Ong, and Karin and Maran.
In Bangladesh, I am deeply indebted to Hameeda Hossain, then-director of Ain O’Shalish Kendra (ASK), who took me in so graciously when I first arrived in Bang-ladesh. Chilpi’s interest and kind offer to accompany me during the first interviews with returned migrant women was highly appreciated. I am grateful to Meghna Gu-hathakurta for sharing her knowledge, friendship and contacts with me. I am also greatly indebted to Tasneem Siddiqui, who is an authority in the field of gender and migration in Bangladesh. Her expertise, engagement, enthusiasm and support were a great help and inspiration to me. I send a big thank you to Saiful Haque Asif of the Welfare Association of Repatriated Bangladeshis (WARBE). He and his colleagues generously shared with me their experiences as ex-migrants. Thanks also go to Lily Jahan of the Bangladesh Women Migration Association. I highly appreciate the work they all have done and are still doing. Finally, I thank Professor B.K Jahangir, Rita Afsar and Naseen Akhter Hussain for sharing their knowledge during several lively and interesting discussions.
I am most profoundly indebted of course, to the many Bangladeshi migrant women and men who shared their lives with me. I highly appreciate their generosity, espe-10 Acknowledgements
cially as I know that at times their lives were such that they did not know whom to trust. They put up with my constant curiosity and questioning, welcomed me in their homes, and shared with me their stories, meals, laughter and– sometimes – tears. I greatly admire their courage in speaking out. This book is dedicated to you.
Following an invitation from Thanh-Dam Truong, I participated in the EU-funded Asia-Link doctoral students’ exchange programme, which allowed me to work for several months at the Gender and Development studies (GDS) centre at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok in 2004. A big thank you goes to Thanh-Dam, Bernadette Resurreccion and the GDS in general. Stimulating dis-cussions with students and staff at AIT were highly appreciated.
After my return to the Netherlands, my insights and writing were enhanced during discussions on draft chapters and papers with Willem van Schendel, Jeroen Doo-mernik, Margriet Poppema, Philomena Essed, Valentina Mazucatto and Steve Ver-tovec. I thank them all for their invaluable feedback. I am grateful to Sjoerd de Vos– who patiently and repeatedly answered my statistical questions– and to Els Veld-huizen, who made the maps.
I send my thanks to Patrick Henn for supporting me while I was writing the re-search proposal; although it already seems so long ago, it was a very crucial period. I also feel grateful for the support I received from my friends and fellow PhD students – particularly Frank den Hertog, Ilse van Liempt, Floor Smakman, Marli Hollands, Ellen Lammers, Cindy Horst, Blanca Garcés-Mascareñas, Nandita Shah, Nandita Gandhi and Udan Fernando. A big thank you also goes to my dear colleagues at the Fair Wear Foundation for their patience and support while I was finalizing this dis-sertation.
As for the financial side of things, I am greatly indebted to a dear family friend, Jacques Proutat, for lending me a very generous amount of money when I needed it, and for later turning it into a gift. My friend Christian Epp graciously lent me a sub-stantial amount of money for an indefinite period of time and without asking for interest; I sincerely thank him for his big-heartedness and friendship. Finally, I am more than grateful to my mother, my grandmother and my grandfather for their very generous gifts: their financial contributions and continuous loving support were deeply appreciated and made my life unfold with ease and grace. Thank you for being such an important part in my life and for always believing in me.
Last but not least, I want to thank the various friends and family members I have not mentioned so far – in particular, Franki, Ann, Roberta, Michele, Ali, Analia, Christian, Ines, Linda, Jamal, Dorrit, Laura, Paulette, Simona, Jean and Alan. They have all greatly enriched my life. I thank them for their patience and belief in me during what at times seemed to be a never-ending project. They were there with understanding, laughter and humour whenever I got stuck or simply needed some diversion. I cherish your love and friendship.
