• Examine how women migrants navigate changing gender roles related to health and work and how the COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped gender norms and relations.
• Analyze the risks, shocks, vulnerabilities, and resilience strategies experienced by women migrants in response to the pandemic.
• Assess how gender dynamics influence access to resources, particularly in helping women migrants cope with and adapt to COVID-19 stressors, with the goal of informing gender-transformative policies and interventions.
By addressing these critical issues, the project aims to inform gender-equitable policies that enhance labor protections, healthcare access, and social inclusion for migrant women in Malaysia and Thailand.
rESEARCH approach & method
• Quantitative surveys to capture labor conditions, healthcare access, and social determinants of health.
• Qualitative life-history interviews to document migrant women's lived experiences.
• Policy analysis to assess structural barriers and identify areas for reform.
This research draws on intersectional feminist frameworks and applies the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Decent Work principles to assess employment conditions and labor rights. It also integrates WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL) assessments, depression, anxiety, and stress screening tools, and gender-focused surveys to evaluate the well-being, mental health, and gender dynamics affecting migrant women in both labor and migration contexts.
Multi-Sector and Partner Advisory Model
The Women RISE WISH Project operates within a multi-stakeholder governance framework that ensures collaborative decision-making, research accountability, and meaningful engagement with migrant communities and policymakers. This structure is designed to amplify migrant voices, integrate expert insights, and drive evidence-based policy recommendations.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), serving as the Decision Maker in the project and the UN focal point for gender, plays a pivotal role in promoting best practices on gender. UNFPA facilitates information exchange between the research team, other UN agencies, and the ILO, supports constructive dialogue, and promotes the integration of research findings into policy and advocacy forums. It also fosters multi-stakeholder engagement and ensures the research informs gender-transformative policies and programs that advance the health, rights, and working conditions of migrant women.
- Community Advisory Board (CAB) – Comprising migrant women and community leaders, the CAB provides lived experience perspectives, cultural insights, and contextual guidance to ensure the research remains relevant, inclusive, and responsive to migrant needs.
- Project Advisory Group (PAG) – A consortium of scholars, policymakers, and sectoral experts, the PAG supports research translation, policy engagement, and knowledge mobilization, ensuring that findings contribute to gender-transformative labor and health policies at national and regional levels.
This model facilitates collaboration between researchers, civil society organizations, and decision-makers, reinforcing the project’s commitment to inclusive research and policy impact.
Engagement & Collaboration
The project centers community-driven research, ensuring that women migrants, NGOs, and policymakers are engaged in shaping the study and translating its findings into action
Women migrants play a crucial role in various economic sectors but continue to face legal, social, and economic barriers. The WISH Project highlights these structural barriers and contributes to policy and intervention generation efforts for gender-transformative labor and health policies.
