Female migrant workers face vulnerabilities related to Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) throughout the migration cycle, from pre-departure to in-service and return and reintegration stages. Yet there is limited understanding and empirical evidence of the extent of SGBV experienced by Sri Lankan female migrant workers. This study uses data from complaints lodged at the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment to conduct a qualitative analysis, providing empirical evidence on when, where, and how female migrant workers are affected by SGBV during the migration cycle. The availability of such empirical evidence would offer a better understanding of various nuances of SGBV and help in formulating appropriate protective mechanisms to minimise female migrant workers’ vulnerability to SGBV during the migration cycle.
