Abstract
This concluding chapter captures the essence of all the previous chapters and makes certain recommendations for the benefits of the policy makers. While it maintains that migration from Garhwal has radically transformed the socio-economic and demographic profile of the population in the study area, it also highlights the positive and negative ramifications of the same. It has resulted in the separation of families for a long time, which has caused psychological, emotional and social stress to the family members left behind, in general, and to the wives, in particular. The study concludes that most of the left-behind wives are living in non-nuclear households, are relatively younger, have a higher age at marriage, are more educated, have fewer numbers of living children, experience a better standard of living, have lesser decision-making power and are more stress-prone as compared to the reference group. Out-migrants are younger, better educated and have higher incomes than their counterparts although they do not possess professional skills, which leaves them ill-equipped for better-paying jobs. There is increasing feminization of agriculture in the area. Strengthening the self-help group (SHG) interventions, existing public outreach services and “information education and communication” (IEC) activities and MGNAREGA are suggested as a means to arrest migration. It also recommends further research to unveil the gender relations, well-being, etc. of each segment of the left-behind population for a deeper understanding of the subject.