Gender Differences between Mexican Migration to the United States and Paraguayan Migration to Argentina

Abstract

This article deals with the issue of gender and migration in a comparative manner. It aims at identifying factors that affect the gender composition of migratory streams, including family formation and children. It compares two contrasting streams: Mexican migration to the United States, which has traditionally been male-dominated; and Paraguayan migration to Argentina, which comprises a larger proportion of women with patterns of migration relatively similar to those of their male counterparts. Using quantitative information from the Mexican Migration Project and the Paraguayan Migration Survey, and qualitative in-depth interviews, the authors examine differences in patterns of migration and the factors associated with them. The article concludes that differences are due mainly to historical traits in the initiation of the flows, the economic and social role of women in each sending country, migration policies and border controls, and the contexts of reception (resource opportunities).