Women’s economic rights in developing countries and the gender gap in migration to Germany

Neumayer, Eric ORCID: 0000-0003-2719-7563 and Plumper, Thomas (2021) Women’s economic rights in developing countries and the gender gap in migration to Germany. IZA Journal of Development and Migration, 12 (1). ISSN 2520-1786

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Abstract

There is a large variation across countries of origin in the gender composition of migrants coming to Germany. We argue that women's economic rights in developing countries of origin have three effects on their migration prospects to a place like Germany that is far away and difficult to reach. First, the lower are women's economic rights the fewer women have access to and control over the resources needed to migrate to Germany. Second, the lower are the rights the lower is women's agency to make or otherwise influence migration decisions. These two constraining effects on the female share in migrant populations dominate the opposing third effect that stems from low levels of women's economic rights generating a potentially powerful push factor. We find corroborating evidence in our analysis of the gender composition of migration to Germany over the period 2009-2017.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	https://www.sciendo.com/journal/IZAJODM
Additional Information:	© 2021 The Author
Divisions:	Geography & Environment
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
JEL classification:	F - International Economics > F2 - International Factor Movements and International Business > F22 - International Migration O - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O15 - Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
Date Deposited:	03 Nov 2021 14:51
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2024 01:39
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/112557

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