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Gender, Networks and Mexico-US Migration

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Abstract

In this article, we examine whether the causes and patterns of Mexican rural female migration differ significantly from rural male migration. A number of hypotheses are discussed to explain why female migration may differ from male migration, with a particular emphasis on the role of migrant networks. Using data from a national survey of rural Mexican households in the ejido sector, significant differences between the determinants of male and female migration are found. While evidence suggests that networks play an important role in female migration, we find that, contrary to case study evidence, female networks are not more influential than male networks in female migration. In fact, female and male networks are found to be substitutes, suggesting they serve similar functions in female migration. Although female migrant networks do not play a special role in the female migration decision, the destination of female migrants is strongly influenced by the location of female network migrants.

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  • B. Davis & P. Winters, 2001. "Gender, Networks and Mexico-US Migration," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(2), pages 1-26.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:38:y:2001:i:2:p:1-26
    DOI: 10.1080/00220380412331322251
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    Cited by:

    1. R Todd Jewell & Natalia Melgar & David J. Molina & Máximo Rossi, 2009. "Attitudes toward immigrants: a cross-country perspective," Documentos de Trabajo (working papers) 0309, Department of Economics - dECON.
    2. Stark, Oded & Jakubek, Marcin, 2013. "Migration networks as a response to financial constraints: Onset, and endogenous dynamics," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 1-7.
    3. Stefan Gruber & Gregor Sand, 2022. "Does Migration Pay Off in Later Life? Income and Subjective Well-Being of Older Migrants in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 969-988, April.
    4. Stecklov, Guy & Carletto, Calogero & Azzarri, Carlo & Davis, Benjamin, "undated". "Agency, education and networks: Gender and international migration from Albania," ESA Working Papers 289030, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    5. Sharp, Matthew, 2021. "The labour market impacts of female internal migration: Evidence from the end of Apartheid," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Verônica De Castro Lameira & Eduardo Gonçalves & Ricardo Da Silva Freguglia, 2016. "Migratory Effectiveness In The Labor Market: Evidence From Brazil," Anais do XLIII Encontro Nacional de Economia [Proceedings of the 43rd Brazilian Economics Meeting] 228, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics].
    7. Aliakbar Akbaritabar & José I. Carrasco Armijo & Athina Anastasiadou, 2025. "Gender dynamics in international migration and social networks," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2025-004, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    8. Michel Beine & Sara Salomone, 2010. "Migration and Networks: Does Education Matter more than Gender?," CESifo Working Paper Series 3010, CESifo.
    9. Gray, Clark & Mueller, Valerie, 2012. "Drought and Population Mobility in Rural Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 134-145.
    10. Neumayer Eric & Plümper Thomas, 2021. "Women’s economic rights in developing countries and the gender gap in migration to Germany," IZA Journal of Development and Migration, Sciendo & Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit GmbH (IZA), vol. 12(1), pages 1-23, January.
    11. Valsecchi, Michele, 2010. "Land Certification and International Migration: Evidence from Mexico," Working Papers in Economics 440, University of Gothenburg, Department of Economics.
    12. Laura Renner & Lena Schmid, 2025. "The decision to flee: exploring gender-specific determinants of international refugee migration," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 38(2), pages 1-34, June.
    13. Mao-Mei Liu, 2013. "Migrant Networks and International Migration: Testing Weak Ties," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 50(4), pages 1243-1277, August.
    14. Docquier, Frédéric & Marfouk, Abdeslam & Salomone, Sara & Sekkat, Khalid, 2012. "Are Skilled Women More Migratory than Skilled Men?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 251-265.
    15. Valsecchi, Michele, 2014. "Land property rights and international migration: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 276-290.
    16. Richter, Susan M. & Taylor, J. Edward, 2005. "Policy Reforms and the Gender Dynamics of Rural Mexico-to-U.S. Migration," Working Papers 190909, University of California, Davis, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
    17. Andrew Dillon & Valerie Mueller & Sheu Salau, 2011. "Migratory Responses to Agricultural Risk in Northern Nigeria," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1048-1061.
    18. Renner, Laura & Schmid, Lena, 2023. "The decision to flee: Exploring gender-specific determinants of international refugee migration," Discussion Paper Series 2023-01, University of Freiburg, Wilfried Guth Endowed Chair for Constitutional Political Economy and Competition Policy.
    19. Richter, Susan M. & Taylor, J. Edward & Yunez-Naude, Antonio, 2005. "Gender Impacts of U.S. Immigration Policies," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19403, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    20. Pablo Acosta, 2011. "Female Migration and Child Occupation in Rural El Salvador," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 30(4), pages 569-589, August.
    21. Erin Trouth Hofmann & E. Miranda Reiter, 2018. "Geographic Variation in Sex Ratios of the US Immigrant Population: Identifying Sources of Difference," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(3), pages 485-509, June.
    22. Sarah Dolfin & Garance Genicot, 2010. "What Do Networks Do? The Role of Networks on Migration and “Coyote” Use," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 343-359, May.
    23. Stecklov, Guy & Winters, Paul & Stampini, Marco & Davis, Benjamin, "undated". "Can public transfers reduce Mexican migration? A study based on randomized experimental data," ESA Working Papers 289083, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).
    24. David McKenzie & Hillel Rapoport, 2010. "Self-Selection Patterns in Mexico-U.S. Migration: The Role of Migration Networks," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(4), pages 811-821, November.

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