Women’s experiences of gendered harm and im/mobility associated with temporary labour migration in the Asia Pacific

Temporary labour migration, a form of human mobility contingent on the performance of labour, creates conditions of considerable precarity. These conditions expose women to a range of gendered insecurities affecting mobility while leaving them susceptible to harm. This scoping review examined the state of evidence on gendered harms faced by women involved in labour migration across the Asia Pacific and identified how these harms shaped women’s im/mobilty. The review included 43 studies published between 2014–2024 and found that a broad spectrum of gender-based violence is perpetrated against women engaged in temporary labour migration. Violence influenced mobility across a range of socio-spatial scales and had significant health and wellbeing impacts. Findings implicated migration, health and social systems in creating conditions of indentured mobility for women. Involuntary immobility was found to be both an outcome of gendered harm as well as a contextual factor that interacted with precarious employment and visa conditions to contribute to violence. Findings highlight focal points for future research and emphasise the importance of developing transnational mechanisms to prevent gender-based violence and support women’s safety in the context of increasing global labour mobility.