Subjective Well‐Being and Migrant Women Workers: A Comprehensive Thematic Review

ABSTRACT Migrant women workers are mostly at risk of experiencing violations of their human and labor rights. They face a multitude of safety and well‐being problems due to their unique position as both migrants and women in a challenging urban environment. These problems significantly affect their physical and emotional health and overall quality of life. This paper presents a thematic analysis of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies, which elucidate the status of well‐being of migrant women workers. The electronic databases perused were PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsychINFO, and CINAHL, identifying 1381 papers, which were evaluated using inclusion criteria and appraisal tools, which further resulted in a final corpus of 89 articles. Five analytic themes and 12 sub‐themes were identified, including Economic Precarity, Intersectionality/Interplay of Factors, Access to Social Services, Human Security Concerns, and Livelihood Assets and Strategies. This review offered a panoramic overview of the domain of subjective well‐being of migrant women workers to identify the underlying patterns and themes and advance the valuable knowledge base. The findings of this review provide a comprehensive analysis of the different dimensions and processes involved in shaping the subjective well‐being of migrant women workers, including the challenges as well as the different livelihood assets and strategies adopted by them. By increasing awareness of exploitative situations, offering support services, guaranteeing socioeconomic empowerment, and encouraging cooperation among stakeholders for legal protections and safe workplaces, comprehensive actions are required to protect migrant women workers. While this study employed a thematic review utilizing scientific methodologies, subsequent research should embrace a more multidimensional approach that considers contextual and intersectional nuances. Priority must be given to region‐specific, cross‐national, and longitudinal research utilizing representative samples to guide inclusive and effective policies for migrant women workers.