South Asia is the region with the highest number of slaves globally according to the Global Slavery Index. Bonded labour affects between 15 and 20 million labourers within the region, and is shaped by locally specific interconnections between ethnicity, class, caste and, critically, gender structures. Masculinity and Modern Slavery in South Asia explores the role of gender and masculinity in shaping the structures and experience of slavery, and subsequent freedom. Whilst many I/NGOs and human rights organisations use freedom from slavery as a powerful and emotive goal, the lived reality of freedom for many bonded labourers often results in disappointment and frustation as they navigate diverse expectations of masculinity. Taking Nepal as a case study, the book illustrates how men's gendered experiences of bondedness and freedom can inform our perspectives on the transition to freedom and modernity in South Asia more broadly.