Marital Challenges after Husbands’ International Migration: Lived Experiences of Wives in Punjab

Abstract

International migration is generally defined as the settlement, employment or refuge of persons in one country from another country. The purpose of this study is to explore the social, psychological and family problems encountered by migrants’ spouses and their coping mechanisms to deal with stress and societal pressures. Marital roles, communication and decisions of household members significantly change when men leave for foreign employment. In-depth interviews with 12 women from rural districts of Punjab, Pakistan with husbands working abroad were conducted using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis method. The results showed that the psychological issues for migrant spouses are depression, anxiety and fear of abandonment; physical issues are tiredness and the burden of additional responsibilities; and social issues are fear of harassment due to the lack of a male family member. Reliance on social media to stay in touch with migrant husbands and involvement in productive activities and extended family support were most common. The study is contributing to the scarce literature on marital adjustment after labor migration of men in Pakistan.