Migration, gender labor division and food insecurity in Tajikistan

In recent decades millions living in low-income countries like Tajikistan have migrated to support their livelihoods. This massive, predominantly male, out-migration has transformed the agricultural sector. On the one hand, household members with migrants who stay behind, usually female and children, might replace migrant member’s previous tasks, leading to the feminization of agriculture. On the other hand, remittances can increase migrant households’ income leading to a reduction in their work and increase in their food security as their purchasing power strengthens. We study the relationship between migration, food insecurity and gender labor division for two production systems in Tajikistan. Using propensity score matching with village fixed effects, we find non-migrant households are associated with having more months of food shortages and spending more days without eating food. In terms of the division of labor, women in migrant households were associated with being more involved in labor-intensive activities. Our results provide evidence that while migration is correlated with greater food security, the demand on women’s time and labour increases. This has important implications for designing gender-inclusive agricultural and irrigation training and extension programs, which are usually targeted at males. Gender-sensitive design will be vital for improving countries like Tajikistan’s food security, malnutrition, and water resource management.