An Older Female Migrant in the Micro-entrepreneurial Sector

In the last 3 years, several migrant families worldwide have undergone economic, social, and psychological disasters. Specifically, the unprecedented deaths of earning members in the pandemic have wreaked havoc on the survival of the rest of the family. Drawing from an ethnographic study and hermeneutics approach to a single case of disproportionately marginalized elderly female migrant in a roadside micro-entrepreneurial eating place in Mumbai, this article presents a narrative of compounded losses and adapted lifestyles. This study argues that the struggle for survival for persons with attributes such as ageing, gender, and migration for labor weighed collectively is manifold and merits immediate attention by the society. Based on a grounded theoretical framework, this case study offers novel perspectives on the deprived quality of life and human rights through socioeconomic inequalities. Furthermore, this study observed that lack of financial literacy and mutely obeyed exploitation by addicted family members added to the despair. Moreover, this study reveals that elderly gender members, irrespective of age and poor health conditions, accepted the fatalities and assumed responsibility with tenacity, resilience, and affection for their future generations. The study highlights the society’s challenges in recognizing the pertinent issue and offers several recommendations for social leaders, NGOs, and government organizations.