The precarity of gender, migration, and locations: case studies from Bangladesh and Nepal

ABSTRACT

While migration debates point to both empowerment and disempowerment in the range of choices that women can experience due to patriarchal norms in the home country and families, migration norms themselves can at the same time be disempowering. This paper explores the idea of precarity as a way through this paradox. By using Key Informant Interviews in case studies from Nepal and Bangladesh, we show how the precarity of migration can change not only due to patriarchal norms at the origin and host country but also events such as COVID-19 can have a profound effect on women’s choices and agency.

KEYWORDS:

• Migration labour and livelihoods
• region South Asia
• gender and diversity
• rights

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the interview participants who generously shared their insights and knowledge.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

This project was funded by the Centre of Excellence for Development Impact and Learning [Grant number L.394], supported by UK AID.

Notes on contributors

Joyce Wu

Joyce Wu is an academic at the University of New South Wales, Her research interests include gender mainstreaming, male behavioural change, and violence against women. Her book, Involving Men in Ending Violence against Women, examined how this work was carried out by activists in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Timor Leste.

Patrick Kilby

Patrick Kilby is the convener of the Master of Applied Anthropology and Development Program at the Australian National University. His research interests are NGOs and NGO accountability; gender and development; managing international development programs; and, most recently, the story of foreign aid. He has published four sole authored books on NGOs in India and Australia, Philanthropic Foundations, and the Green Revolution.