As a result of a predominantly high rate of unemployment, young males have typically made up the majority of Nepali international migrants, with 80% of the 2.2 million individuals living abroad in 2021 being male (Dongol et. al., 2025). As a result, much of social and domestic life for these households is put on hold while male members spend time abroad. As well as this, as a result of both parents not being present during their formative years, absence of a male family member can often have a negative psychological effect on the children of these families leading to a negative impact on their emotional development (Fellmeth et. al., 2018) and academic performance (Antman, 2013). Remaining female family members also often turn to agricultural and unpaid family work, and have to take up additional household responsibilities at the expense of paid employment (Phadera, 2019).

Antman, F. M. (2013). The impact of migration on family left behind. In The impact of migration on family left behind (pp. 293-308). Edward Elgar Publishing.

Dongol, P., Etang Ndip, A., Joshi, N. K., Mijiyawa, A. G., Phadera, L., & Sapkota, S. (2025). Nepal Development Update : International Migration and Well-being in Nepal (English). Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group. Available at: https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/099439009302442870/pdf/IDU-bade7473-0f41-4499-a576-83a9a3eb57d4.pdf(accessed 03/11/25).

Fellmeth, G., Rose-Clarke, K., Zhao, C., Busert, L. K., Zheng, Y., Massazza, A., . . . others. (2018). Health impacts of parental migration on left-behind children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet, 392(10164), 2567-2582.

Phadera, L. (2019). Impact of International Migration on Labor Supply in Nepal. Policy Research Working Paper (9014). Available at: https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/e13196af-7773-5fb1-885e-c943b0f019ab/content (accessed 25/11/25).