Balancing Reproductive and Productive Responsibilities: Childcare Strategies Implemented by Migrant Mothers in theThailand–Myanmar Border Region

This study explores how migrant mothers from Myanmar living in Mae Sot, on the Thailand–Myanmar border, manage both caregiving and income-generating responsibilities while facing displacement and instability. Through 62 personal narratives, the research identifies four key childcare strategies: bringing children to work, staying home to care for them, sharing responsibilities with family, and relying on formal or non-family caretakers. Most women preferred to keep childcare within the family, but often struggled to find work that allowed them to do so. The findings call for better employment opportunities that support mothers living in protracted refugee settings.