Women migrants and remittances

Ninety five million migrants are women, constituting at least half those seeking to benefit from labour opportunities abroad. The ‘feminisation of migration’ has prompted many studies on the role of remittances in boosting household economies, but more recent studies have recognised the potential of migration as a channel of women’s empowerment, as women become joint or chief bread-winners and have an important role in deciding how the money will be spent.

Women migrants and povery reduction

The UNFPA report emphasises the positive impacts that women migrants have had on reducing poverty through remittances that feed, clothe and educate children, provide health care and generally improve living standards for loved ones left behind. At the same time these impacts are complex and difficult to measure. Responding to this reality, INSTRAW has developed a conceptual framework that will allow a better understanding of the interrelationships between migration, gender, remittances and development.

The darker side of women's migration

There is also dark underbelly of migration where exploitation, trafficking and forced repatriation reside.  While many labour-source countries are encouraging women to migrate and to send back their earnings to boost local development and national GDP, recipient countries persistently fail to introduce policies that will protect the women’s welfare.