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Migration as Emancipation? The Impact of Internal and International Migration on the Position of Women Left Behind in Rural Morocco

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  • Hein de Haas
  • Aleida van Rooij

Abstract

Based on quantitative and qualitative fieldwork, this paper analyses how internal and international out-migration of men has affected the position of women left behind in a rural area in southern Morocco. The results generally refute the hypothesis that migration changes gender roles. Although international migration and remittances enable women and their families to live more comfortable and secure lives, internal migration often coincides with increasing workloads and uncertainty. Although their husbands' migration leads to a temporary increase in the tasks and responsibilities of women, this new role is generally perceived as a burden and should therefore not be equated with emancipation in the meaning of making independent choices against prevailing gender norms. In a classical “patriarchal bargain”, women prefer to avoid overt rule-breaking in order to secure their social position. Significant improvements in the position of rural women are primarily the result of general social and cultural change, although migration might have played an indirect, accelerating role in these processes.

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  • Hein de Haas & Aleida van Rooij, 2010. "Migration as Emancipation? The Impact of Internal and International Migration on the Position of Women Left Behind in Rural Morocco," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(1), pages 43-62.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:oxdevs:v:38:y:2010:i:1:p:43-62
    DOI: 10.1080/13600810903551603
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Louka T. Katseli & Robert E.B. Lucas & Theodora Xenogiani, 2006. "Effects of Migration on Sending Countries: What Do We Know?," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 250, OECD Publishing.
    2. Ellis, Frank, 2000. "Rural Livelihoods and Diversity in Developing Countries," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198296966.
    3. Fargues, Philippe, 2006. "The demographic benefit of international migration : hypothesis and application to the Middle Eastern and North African contexts," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4050, The World Bank.
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    1. Julia Anna Matz & Linguère Mously Mbaye, 2023. "Migration and the Autonomy of Women Left Behind," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 35(5), pages 1059-1079, October.
    2. Tuccio, Michele & Wahba, Jackline, 2018. "Return migration and the transfer of gender norms: Evidence from the Middle East," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 46(4), pages 1006-1029.
    3. Hein De Haas & Tineke Fokkema, 2010. "Intra‐Household Conflicts in Migration Decisionmaking: Return and Pendulum Migration in Morocco," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 36(3), pages 541-561, September.
    4. Anda DAVID & Björn NILSSON, 2021. "Migration and rural development in NENA countries," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 53, pages 147-165.
    5. Jeeyon Janet Kim & Elizabeth Stites & Patrick Webb & Mark A. Constas & Daniel Maxwell, 2019. "The effects of male out-migration on household food security in rural Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 719-732, June.
    6. Regret Sunge & Calvin Mudzingiri, 2023. "A Systematic Literature Review on Migration and Remittances in Mountainous Regions: Key Takeaways for Phuthaditjhaba, Free State, South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-25, October.
    7. H. Arokkiaraj & Archana Kaushik & S. Irudaya Rajan, 2021. "Effects of International Male Migration on Wives Left Behind in Rural Tamil Nadu," Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Centre for Women's Development Studies, vol. 28(2), pages 228-247, June.
    8. Sylvie Démurger, 2015. "Migration and families left behind," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 144-144, April.
    9. Elizabeth Finnis, 2017. "Collective Action, Envisioning the Future and Women’s Self-help Groups: A Case Study from South India," Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Centre for Women's Development Studies, vol. 24(1), pages 1-23, February.
    10. Anghel, Remus Gabriel & Piracha, Matloob & Randazzo, Teresa, 2015. "Migrants' Remittances: Channelling Globalization," IZA Discussion Papers 9516, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    11. Pratistha Joshi Rajkarnikar, 2020. "Male migration and women’s decision-making in Nepal," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 959-982, December.
    12. Kosec, Katrina & Song, Jie & Zhao, Hongdi & Holtemeyer, Brian, 2021. "The Gendered Impact of Income Fluctuations on Household Departure, Labor Supply, and Human Capital Decisions," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315094, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Dina Najjar & Boubaker Dhehibi & Aden Aw-Hassan & Abderrahim Bentaibi, 2017. "Climate Change, Gender, Decision-Making Power, and Migration into the Saiss Region of Morocco," Working Papers 1102, Economic Research Forum, revised 06 Jan 2017.
    14. Guoqing Shi & Yuanke Zhao & Xiaoya Mei & Dengcai Yan & Hubiao Zhang & Yuangang Xu & Yingping Dong, 2022. "Livelihood Resilience Perception: Gender Equalisation of Resettlers from Rural Reservoirs—Empirical Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(17), pages 1-22, September.
    15. Baada, Jemima Nomunume & Najjar, Dina, 2020. "A review of the effects of migration on the feminization of agrarian dryland economies," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 338767, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. Adnan M. S. Fakir & Naveen Abedin, 2021. "Empowered by Absence: Does Male Out-migration Empower Female Household Heads Left Behind?," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 503-527, June.

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