'Disturbing': Shashi Tharoor reacts to Saudi returnees' gender bias findings

Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has described as disturbing a report highlighting findings from a World Bank study that examined gender attitudes among migrants returning to Kerala from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countriesTharoor responded to a social media post discussing the study which found that return migrants from Saudi Arabia tended to hold more conservative views on genderbased violence and attitudes concerning physical violence against women compared with people who had no migration experienceldquoThese are disturbing reportsrdquo Tharoor said in his response warning that the findings raised questions about the influence of conservative social attitudes acquired overseasTharoor raises concerns over conservative attitudesTharoor said Kerala had historically been home to what he described as a liberal and progressive practice of Islam which he said was consistent with the states tradition of coexistence and communal harmonyHe also pointed to Keralas record of providing education to Muslim girls and women at levels comparable to boys and menldquoThe import of conservative and even reactionary attitudes and customs from abroad as suggested by this report is fundamentally at variance with what Kerala has long been aboutrdquo he said calling for serious introspection and internal discussion within the Muslim communityWorld Bank study examines Gulf migrationThe social media post to which Tharoor responded referred to a World Bank study examining whether migration to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries had influenced gender norms among return migrants in KeralaThe research looked beyond the economic impact of migration and remittances to examine its potential social consequences Gulf migration has played a significant role in Keralas economy with remittances from workers abroad supporting families and contributing to local economic activityHowever the study also examined whether exposure to different social environments during migration was associated with changes in attitudes and social norms after migrants returned to KeralaSaudi returnees show more conservative viewsAccording to the studys findings there was a notable difference between migrants returning from Saudi Arabia and return migrants from the broader Gulf regionCompared with people who had no migration experience returnees from Saudi Arabia displayed attitudes towards genderbased violence that were three standard deviations more conservativeThe study also found more conservative attitudes among Saudi returnees concerning the perpetration of physical violence against women when compared with people who had no migration experienceGulf returnees show contrasting patternInterestingly the broader group of migrants returning from Gulf countries showed the opposite pattern in relation to the attitudes examined in the researchThis distinction is significant because it suggests that the social impact of migration may vary depending on the destination country and the experiences migrants have while living and working abroadThe research was conducted under the World Banks Social Sustainability and Inclusion Global Practice and sought to examine the social consequences of migration alongside the substantial economic benefits generated by Gulf remittancesStudy cautions against assuming direct causationThe researchers have cautioned that the findings establish an association rather than proving that migration to Saudi Arabia itself causes more conservative attitudesSeveral factors could potentially influence attitudes among migrants and their families and the studys findings do not by themselves establish a direct causeandeffect relationship between migration and changes in views on genderbased violenceThe distinction is important in interpreting the research particularly given the sensitive nature of the subject and the diversity of experiences among Keralas large migrant populationTharoor calls for introspectionThe studys findings along with Tharoors response have brought renewed attention to the possible social and cultural effects of Gulf migration in KeralaTharoors comments have also opened a broader discussion about whether social attitudes acquired abroad can influence communities after migrants return to the stateWhile Gulf migration has delivered substantial economic benefits to Kerala through remittances the study raises questions about its less visible social effects Tharoor has urged serious introspection within the Muslim community particularly over attitudes that he said could conflict with Keralas established traditions of education social coexistence and gender equalityWith inputs from IANS