Labour migration is an integral part of Nepal’s socioeconomic fabric, with over 14% of Nepali workers employed abroad, particularly in Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Malaysia. While male migration has been extensively documented, the narratives of women migrants and their unique experiences remain underrepresented in research. This paper explores the multifaceted realities of Nepali women migrants, focusing on their lived experiences during migration and their challenges upon returning home.

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted with Nepal’s women migrant-founded and migrant-led NGO, this study examines the structural barriers, social stigmas, and bureaucratic obstacles encountered by women migrant workers. It reveals how patriarchal policies, such as travel bans targeting women, intersect with global labour systems to disproportionately render women vulnerable.

The research underscores the paradoxical effects of well-meaning protective measures, such as documentation requirements and restrictive migration policies, which often exacerbate the vulnerabilities they aim to address. These findings add to broader discussions on the social and economic costs of migration, including the stigma attached to women who migrate for work and the limited reintegration support available upon their return.

Despite these systemic challenges, the study challenges dominant victimhood narratives by showcasing the resilience of women migrants. Through informal support networks, community-led initiatives, and individual acts of agency, returnee migrants resist systemic barriers while navigating intersecting pressures of societal expectations and economic instability. Thus, this research fills a critical gap in the literature by interrogating the paradoxical effects of policies designed to “protect” women and by amplifying the voices of returnee migrants whose experiences are often dismissed or generalized in existing literature. It advocates for policy reforms that prioritize the empowerment of women migrants, address systemic inequities, and foster sustainable reintegration pathways. Moving beyond paternalistic frameworks, this paper positions women migrants as active agents of change within Nepal’s migration landscape.

By bridging the intersections of gender, migration, and reintegration, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on labour migration in Nepal, providing actionable insights for policymakers, NGOs, and development practitioners working toward gender justice in migration.