Migrant women’s indebtedness and (im)mobilities in the handloom industry of Assam (India)

This study examines how Assamese women weavers in Sualkuchi’s handloom industry finance their everyday lives and assess risks and opportunities through various types of debt and migration. Existing literature primarily focuses on debt-financed transnational migration or internal seasonal migrants becoming indebted to intermediary contractors. Our study extends the field through an examination of non-seasonal migrant women weavers’ reliance on debt. We distinguish various, intersecting forms of debt which reflect the financialisation of everyday lives. Our data demonstrates that migration is a widespread strategy to avoid incurring more high-interest debt in home villages. After migrating to Sualkuchi, weavers borrow both from employers and within mutual aid migrant networks. Debt is incurred to repay existing debt, to cover everyday costs, and to make investments. Migrant women’s life-courses are shaped by both migration and financialisation, offering opportunities they could not access otherwise, while also limiting choices in other aspects.