Feminization of Migration

Conceptualization

In the 1970s, the typical profile for a migrant was that of a male breadwinner. Since the 1980s, an increasing number of women have become migrants. Women, however, have always been present in migratory processes, often as spouses, daughters, or dependents of male migrants. Women are now migrating independently for economic opportunities.

The feminization of migration has produced specifically female forms of migration. Some immigration and human rights organizations argue that the feminization of migration is the result of an economic crisis in the agricultural sector, which has led to increased obstacles to men's ability to maintain their status as head of household and primary breadwinner. Male unemployment and high rates of female head of household have forced women to seek alternative sources of income, of which migration seems to be the most lucrative and sustainable. Immigration trends show huge numbers of women migrating over long distances. Female migrants have accounted for a larger percentage of migrants in developing countries than in the industrialized world.

The feminization of migration has produced gender-typed forms of migration, particularly in terms of domestic workers and caregivers, performed either in private homes or institutionalized settings such as hospitals or nursing homes; trafficking of women for the sex industry; and the organized migration of women for marriage. The migration of women predominantly for these forms of work includes both legal and illegal migration, as well as voluntary and forced migration.

Gender and Migration

Gender is an important component in understanding the process of migration. Gender shapes the migration process directly in that it influences the division of labor and the structure of the family as a whole. Migration and immigration patterns are shaped by gender roles and gender socialization, both universally and more particularly to regions, cultures, and both [Page 321]men and women migrants. This gender socialization is influenced by economic, political, social, and cultural factors. The global demand for migrant labor presently prioritizes women's specific skills and traditional roles. This has shifted local, national, global, and transnational associations of gender norms, gender socialization, and gender roles.

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