Moving to Power? Gender Norms, Women’s Migration, and Household Decision-Making

This study examines how women’s labor migration affects their decision-making participation in household savings and how gender norms shape these outcomes. Using Indonesian data, analyses reveal contrasting effects based on community norms. Shift-share instrumental variables analysis shows that 5 years after migration, women from non-restrictive communities gain decision-making power in savings by more than 20%, while those from restrictive communities show limited or negative effects. Staggered difference-in-differences event studies, which reflect the self-selective nature of migration, suggest that women from restrictive communities experience a short-term increase in decision-making 3~7 years after migration timing, while women from non-restrictive regions do not necessarily increase power, possibly due to high initial levels. These findings underscore the role of migration selectivity and gender norms in determining migration’s potential for female empowerment.