Bangladeshi Female Migrant Workers in The Middle East: A Study of Migration and Women’s Empowerment

Abstract

The number of Bangladeshi female migration to the Middle East has risen in recent years. Though they leave their home country and migrate to the Middle East for their and their families’ better future, but they go through both positive and negative experiences in their employment in the Middle East and after returning home. In my study, I attempted to figure out if these women’s journey to the Middle East can serve as a vehicle for their empowerment and bring changes in their lives after their return. I explored these migrant women’s diverse experiences and the role of the Bangladeshi government and NGOs supporting migration of these women to the Middle East. I figured out that these women cannot be treated as a homogenous group and their diverse experiences are shaping their empowerment journey. The research for this study was done by taking interviews with NGO employees and researchers working with female labour migration in Bangladesh. Thus, the study reflects their understanding of female migrants’ experiences.