Sri Lankan Women Migrant Workers in the Gulf: Understanding Crisis Diplomacy In Times of Geopolitical Tensions

September 23, 2026   Reading Time: < 1 minute

Reading Time: < 1 min read

Janani Kandaramage

Research Intern at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI) .

Piyumani Ranasinghe

Senior Research Fellow at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies (LKI).

Abstract: This Policy Study examines how the US-Iran war in West Asia has exacerbated the vulnerabilities of Sri Lankan Women Migrant Workers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As Sri Lanka’s principal destination for labour migration and its largest source of remittance income, geopolitical instability in the Gulf has disrupted steady employment for Sri Lanka’s migrant women workers. These disruptions have jeopardised their ability to earn a sustained income for dependents at home. This study, therefore, focuses on the disproportionate risks faced by women in the backdrop of the current conflict, particularly women who are overrepresented in low-skilled domestic roles. Safeguards in such unskilled occupations are limited, thus heightening their exposure to employer exploitation. Drawing on international literature on the ‘ feminisation’ of labour migration, this paper advocates for more equitable local employment opportunities, improved emergency preparedness during external shocks, and strengthened gender-sensitive migration governance.

Download the PDF here: Sri Lankan Women Migrant Workers in the Gulf