Gender and Migration among sub-Saharan African women

This paper discusses ways in which the position that women hold in the family, community and society affects migrations within and outside sub-Saharan Africa, and conversely, the influence of migration on the position of women in the family, community or society. We utilize data on the stock of African migrants at destination, data on female-headed households, and recent literature to examine experiences of migrant women and of those left behind when men migrate.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of women migrants from the region to the wealthier countries of Europe and North America. The feminization of migrations together with the fact that most job opportunities at destinations are in unregulated, exploitative sectors of the economy have raised awareness of the discriminations against women. The migration process is perceived as a gendered phenomenon bringing to the fore the question of how migration either entrenches gendered inequalities and traditional roles, or challenges and changes them. This happens both when women migrate and men leave their spouses behind.
The paper has four parts; examination of available statistics, male selectivity and female-headed households, ‘brain drain’ -migration of professional women-, migration of unskilled women, and discussion.