Finding for Good: Stories of Migration and Reintegration

Success stories are not exclusively about positive, triumphant experiences — they are also about the challenges surmounted along the way, and the lessons learned in the process. This information, in the context of labor migration, could be useful to migrant workers, especially those embarking on labor migration for the first time. Aside from offering practical information and inspiration to would-be OFWs, these success stories could also surface insights for organizations working in migration governance to help them inform policies, programs, and services.

Guided by these objectives, UN Women partnered with the Development Action for Women Network (DAWN) to gather stories and reflections from 20 women migrant workers, current and former, on their migration journey, with special emphasis on their experiences of recruitment and reintegration.

Women migrant workers are disproportionately represented in lower-paid jobs, such as domestic work and other elementary occupations, where they tend to face significant risks and barriers to achieving what is commonly defined as success. The focus on women likewise recognizes how, historically, women’s narratives have tended to be sidelined, and how this needs to change.