Question: Over the last 3 years, you’ve conducted over 500 research interviews with migrant workers from South Asia working in various global supply chains. How did you begin this work, and what drew you into it?

I didn’t begin my career as a field research investigator. I come from a very rural part of Nepal, where girls like me often have limited access to education. My father was quite progressive, and he supported me and my sisters in continuing our studies. I went on to study rural development, as I was always drawn to understanding and supporting our rural communities. Later, I worked briefly with a magazine and also learned to be a motivational speaker. Those experiences taught me how to connect with people and, importantly, how to listen. When I joined Equidem, I started in an administrative role. But I kept hearing the cases investigators were bringing in – stories of Nepali workers in the Gulf and Malaysia facing very difficult conditions. I remember wondering: is this really happening at this scale? I wanted to understand it for myself, so I requested to move into a research investigator role.

Q: How did you learn to conduct these research interviews, especially in ways that centre trust and openness?

In the beginning, it was not easy. The questionnaires we used were quite technical, and I wasn’t always confident about how to ask the questions or guide the conversation. But over time, I realised that practice is the most important teacher. The more I spoke with workers, the more I understood how to approach these conversations. I also began to move away from relying strictly on the questionnaire. Instead, I focused on understanding the key themes and keeping them clearly in mind, so the conversation could flow naturally while still covering what was important. I usually begin with a simple greeting and informal conversation, asking about their life or family before explaining consent clearly. I often say that I will only take 15 minutes of their time, but if trust builds, conversations can extend to one or even two hours.

Q: What are some of the key challenges you face in conducting this research, especially as a woman investigator engaging primarily with male workers?

Research timelines can be tight, so reaching the required number of workers within that time is one of the most difficult parts of this work. If I reach out to 100 workers, maybe 10 will respond – and even among those, not all conversations continue. To get those responses, I spend a significant amount of time on social media trying to identify and connect with workers. As a woman, there are additional challenges. Some male workers may not take the interaction seriously, or may behave in ways that are inappropriate. Over time, I’ve had to block many worker contacts, and that list has grown quite large. In reality, this means that the number of workers I can meaningfully engage with becomes even smaller, sometimes just four or five out of an initial 100.

Q: What does it mean, emotionally, to do this kind of work over time, listening to real stories of distress, exploitation, and isolation?

There are many days when, after a conversation with a migrant worker, I cannot sleep. So many people criticise migration, but when you speak to workers, you understand that it is poverty and desperation that push many young people in South Asia to migrate to places like Malaysia or the Gulf. Recently, I spoke to a Pakistani worker who had lost his father and had a blind mother and sister to support. He migrated to the Gulf after taking a loan of around PKR 9 lakhs (USD3,230) – loans that are often only accessible for migration among low-income communities. Just three months into his job, the contractor he was working under lost their contract with a larger company, and he was sent back home with no possibility of appeal. He was in tears.

Q: What advice would you offer to researchers who want to work in similar contexts with migrant workers?

The most important thing is to find your own way of conducting worker interviews: be original. Everyone approaches this work differently, and you have to figure out what feels natural to you. At the same time, there are some basic principles you should not lose sight of. You have to centre the worker, not yourself. That means respecting their time, their situation, and their comfort. Many workers are already navigating very difficult conditions, so your presence should not add to that burden. It is also important to be honest about what you can and cannot do for them. If you cannot change something immediately, think about what you can offer in that moment – sometimes, that is simply listening. What you should never do, however, is overpromise. Being clear and transparent builds trust in a deeper way.

“The least I can offer is to listen.”

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