Burdens Behind the Wings: Gendered Challenges of Female Cabin Crew in Nepal

Abstract

This study examines the labor dynamics of female cabin crew members in Nepal’s aviation industry. Although the occupation is often portrayed as glamorous and empowering, such representations often obscure the structural conditions shaping women’s work in a developing economy like Nepal. Drawing on feminist perspectives, the study provides a qualitative thematic interpretation of existing scholarship on cabin crew labor. Five key themes emerge: gendered professional identity, emotional labor, aesthetic labor and bodily surveillance, work–family conflict, and career precarity. Findings suggest that emotional and aesthetic labor are disproportionately expected from air hostesses and are often culturally naturalized as feminine qualities rather than recognized as skilled work. Strict appearance standards, moral scrutiny, and short-term contractual employment contribute to insecure and often short-lived careers. Irregular and extended working hours further intensify work–family conflict, limiting women’s capacity to balance professional and domestic responsibilities. While aviation employment in Nepal is symbolically associated with modernity and women’s empowerment, it rarely ensures long-term economic security or stability. Instead, it tends to reproduce gender inequalities and generate psychological strain. Situating Nepal’s aviation sector within broader feminist debates on service labor, the study highlights the need for gender-sensitive labor policies, institutional protection, and greater recognition of emotional labor in improving the working conditions of female cabin crew.