Husbands’ Migration and the Left-behind Wives: The Psychosocial Impacts on Life Experiences of the Women of District Quetta, Pakistan

Abstract

Migration has always been a focus of social scientists for many reasons, especially its impacts on the families of those who migrate for a long period of time. The recent literature reveals that migration can have both pros and cons. Keeping in view the existing facts and figures, this research study was designed to explore the psycho-social impacts on the migrants’ families, especially their wives, as they take the primary responsibilities of their families after their husbands’ migration. The researchers used the qualitative method by using open-ended interviews for data collection and thematic analysis. It is explored that a husband’s migration has certain impacts on the left behind wives, such as distress, fear, disparities, insecurity, negative rumors, problems in movement, threats from in-laws and neighbors, and treatment as a laborer. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that left behind wives have many psychosocial barriers; hence, the government may provide emotional support to the migrants’ families in terms of their children’s education, health, and socialization and the other family members, such as in-laws may also take care of their children and socialize and reasonably treat them.