Impacts of international migration and remittances on child outcomes and labour supply in Indonesia: How does gender matter?

This policy research working paper empirically investigates rising international migration and remittances in Indonesia. It particularly examines the ways in which female migration (approximately 80% of Indonesia’s migrant workers in 2007) affects the livelihoods of the migrants’ origin households. While migration tended to lower the remaining household members’ working hours on average, this effect was not observed in households with female migrants. Female migration and remittances were found to reduce child labour. Among other things, this study also observed that increased income from remittances of female migrants could enhance their bargaining power and influence in the household. Data for this research was drawn from the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) 2000 and 2007.