Empirical Evidence on Sexual and Gender Based Violence Faced by Sri Lankan Migrant Female Domestic Workers

The findings reveal that SGBV extends far beyond overt physical or sexual abuse. Instead, it manifests as a continuum of violations such as compromising safety and privacy, violation of basic human needs, sexual harassment, physical and mental harassment, inadequate rest and excessive workload, deception and forced labour, non-payment of wages and communication issues. These risks are intensified by the overlap between living and working spaces, power imbalances, fear of losing income and limited opportunities to seek help.

The study further reveals that violence is not committed only by employers. Other perpetrators include employers’ spouses, children, relatives, other workers within the same workplace, as well as both local and foreign recruitment agents. These acts of abuse cut across gender and age boundaries, demonstrating that perpetrators are not limited to any single social group. Importantly, the findings highlight that vulnerabilities are reinforced by economic realities, sector informality, immigration control, capacity to handle SGBV inquiry and conciliation and weak enforcement of labour protection in destination countries rather than in individual behaviour alone.