Migration and gender

Whether and to what extent and how does migration change gender roles? Focusing on such research questions, this paper examines gender dynamics upon migration. It focuses on female labour force participation (FLFP) which is recognized as an indicator of substantial changes in gender roles, a fundamental fact of gender relations in this century, and an indicator of settlement upon migration. This paper is based on a research conducted in multiethnic and multicultural context of Australia. While the paper considers varying ethnicities from throughout the world, it particularly focuses on one group to approach the research objectives properly. This particular focus group are female migrants from Middle East and North Africa region: while their region of origin where they were socialized is often globally well-known as a place dominated by traditional gender roles including an exceptionally low rate of FLFP, their residing country is identified by totally different gender outcomes including a substantially high rate of FLFP. This contrast provides a good example to explain the existence and extent of association between migration and gender dynamics. The multivariate results of this analysis highlight the main patterns and determinants associated with migrant women’s varying strategies to pursue their gender roles upon migration.

Research emphasizing effects of migration on sub-Saharan African families has focused on implications of absent fathers, particularly in areas with historic male migration. Yet, the number of women migrating throughout Africa is likely to have more profound effects on family stability and child well-being. When women move, they face difficult decisions of migrating with children, potentially exposing them to risky environments, or leaving them with others. Little is known about how women make these choices or of implications for children’s well-being whether they co-migrate or are ‘mothered from a distance.’ This research will shed light on decision-making processes of migrant mothers, and the implications of mother’s migration on children’s residence using in-depth interviews with migrants in Nairobi’s informal settlements. As African women continue to migrate to cities, this research points to important implications with regard to how women manage family life when migrating to impoverished urban communities.