Labor migration from Sri Lanka has been dominated by women migrant workers who take up domestic work, mostly in the Middle East. Remittances from women migrant workers have been a major boon to Sri Lanka's economy. However, the social costs of female migration have also been considerable. Migrant NGOs have advocated to effect changes to protect the rights of women migrants. In 2000, a migrant NGO started the campaign to extend voting rights to migrant workers as a means to improve their leverage to influence policy making. The campaign has gained the support of different political parties and government agencies.
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