Profile of Dr.(Mrs.)Swarna Ukwatta

Dr. (Mrs.) Swarna Ukwatta

Department of Demography - University of Colombo

Dr. (Mrs) Swarna Ukwatta obtained her PhD from the University of Adelaide, Australia in 2010 under a partial financial grant from NCAS. Under the supervision of Prof. Graeme Hugo, Professor of Geography, University of Adelaide (Principal supervisor) and Dr. Dianne Rudd, University of Adelaide (Co-supervisor), she investigated ‘The social and economic impacts of the migration of transnational domestic workers on families and children left-behind’, an important issue of labour migration of females in Sri Lanka.

Her study was based on both quantitative and qualitative data collection from a sample selected from Colombo and Kurunegala districts which recorded the highest number of female migrant workers overseas.  While the families are economically benefited from the migration of women, light of the home,   the social costs are also significant. In this study, she focussed more on the ‘Transnational Mothering’ concept. Although Sri Lankan migrant women realize that there are social costs associated with their migration, according their views, they want to migrate since there is no other option rather than migrating for overseas employment. The finding of this study emphasizes the importance of the changes in policy focus towards female migration at every stage of the migration process.