ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Women RISE WISH research project in Malaysia and Thailand examines how women migrants' health and labor have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an intersectional and comparative approach, the project focused on generating key insights to inform gender-transformative policies and improve health and economic security for migrant women.
research objectives
The project's key objectives:
• 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.
• 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 and method
The project employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods research design, integrating:
• 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.
• 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
Guiding the Women RISE WISH Project was a multi-stakeholder governance framework ensuring collaborative decision-making, research accountability, and meaningful engagement with migrant communities and policymakers. This structure supported the amplification of migrant voices, integrated expert insights, and to 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, played a pivotal role in promoting best practices on gender, facilitating information exchange between the research team, other UN agencies, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), to support constructive dialogue, and promotes the integration of research findings into policy and advocacy forums. Its role also included fostering multi-stakeholder engagement to ensure 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 brought lived experience perspectives, cultural insights, and contextual guidance to ensure the research remained relevant, inclusive, and responsive to migrant needs.
• Project Advisory Group (PAG) – A consortium of scholars, policymakers, and sectoral experts, the PAG supported 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 facilitated collaboration between researchers, civil society organizations, and decision-makers, reinforcing the project’s commitment to inclusive research and policy impact.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), serving as the Decision Maker in the project and the UN focal point for gender, played a pivotal role in promoting best practices on gender, facilitating information exchange between the research team, other UN agencies, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), to support constructive dialogue, and promotes the integration of research findings into policy and advocacy forums. Its role also included fostering multi-stakeholder engagement to ensure 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 brought lived experience perspectives, cultural insights, and contextual guidance to ensure the research remained relevant, inclusive, and responsive to migrant needs.
• Project Advisory Group (PAG) – A consortium of scholars, policymakers, and sectoral experts, the PAG supported 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 facilitated collaboration between researchers, civil society organizations, and decision-makers, reinforcing the project’s commitment to inclusive research and policy impact.
Engagement & Collaboration
The project centered community-driven research, ensuring the engagement of women migrants, NGOs, and policymakers in shaping the study and translating its findings into action. In Malaysia, the study was supported by North South Initiative and Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor. In Thailand, NGOs in different provinces collaborated with the Thai WISH study team.
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.
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.
Contact Us
+603 - 5514 4916
sharuna.verghis@monash.edu
Malaysia