Out-migration Of Men Research Articles

Women’s approach to farming in the context of feminization of agriculture: A case study from the middle hills of Nepal

The outmigration of men has led to the feminization of rural communities where women are increasingly responsible for farming. This situation has been referred to as the ‘feminization of agriculture’. This article uses the theory of intersectionality to explore the feminization process in rural communities and to understand how women are changing their farming practices in the middle hills region of Nepal. Empirical data for this study was obtained using a mixed method approach which included a household survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and field observation. The study found differential impacts of the feminization process among women, with the impacts for women largely defined by their caste/ethnicity, gender, class and socio-economic level. Outmigration was causing large changes for households, yet it was not the only factor driving change in rural communities, with women increasingly involved in decision-making in both ‘migrant’ and ‘non-migrant’ households. While new roles in farming have emerged for women, traditional gender norms still constrain how women practice farming. Farming is changing noticeably, with less focus on maximising crop production and raising livestock and more emphasis given to management of farmland closer to settlements and less intensive farming.

Impact of out-migration of men on women's participation in community-based forestry: insights from Van Panchayats of Uttarakhand, India

Increased out-migration from rural areas indicates a significant socio-demographic shift that is increasingly being studied for its impact on community-based forestry institutions. Previous studies in Nepal, Mexico and India have highlighted changes in community-based forestry institutions through increased participation of women following out-migration of men. Therefore, this paper analyses the participation of women in Van Panchayats in a representative sample of six Van Panchayats from Almora district, which is facing one of the highest rates of out-migration in Kumaon region of India. The analysis suggests there is low participation of women in the leadership positions of Van Panchayats despite landmark legislations to increase women's participation. Further, there was no statistically significant difference between participation of women from migrant versus non-migrant households in general assembly meetings of Van Panchayats, suggesting lack of supporting evidence on previous claims about out-migration leading to increased participation of women. Moreover, the position of women in the household (whether household head or not) was significant in explaining their participation in Van Panchayats, and other community-based institutions. The reported findings are relevant to the design of gender inclusive public policy on Van Panchayats as well as to the literature on impact of out-migration on community-based forestry.

The feminization of agriculture or the feminization of agrarian distress? Tracking the trajectory of women in agriculture in India

ABSTRACTThe rising share of farm work in India undertaken by women – a phenomenon commonly referred to as the feminization of agriculture – raises questions about the changing character of rural India, particularly with regards to women's social and economic roles. Based on an analysis of four sets of occupational data drawn from the Indian Census (1981, 1991, 2001 and 2011), this paper demonstrates that, as a process driven largely by the outmigration of men from rural areas, the feminization of agriculture has no necessary relationship with wider INDICATORS of women's social or economic empowerment. Instead, women's growing participation in agriculture appears to be strongly related to several indicators of poverty. This paper concludes that women's growing contribution of labour in agriculture adds to the already heavy work burdens of most rural women, thereby further undermining their well-being, and suggests that the feminization of agriculture may better be described as the feminization of agrarian distress.

Migration and empowerment: the experience of women in households in India where migration of a husband has occurred

Women's empowerment is a major concern in the developing world and is emerging as an important indicator of the development of a society as well as the status of women. In this paper, we study empowerment of women in families which have experienced the migration of their male members. A direct relationship between migration of a husband and a woman's empowerment is difficult to establish. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile examining whether women have experienced any change in their freedoms in terms of decision making, mobility and restrictions. Our measure of women's empowerment is based mainly on three indicators, viz. their decision-making powers, restrictions placed on them and their mobility. Analysis of these three indices of women's empowerment has been achieved through multinomial logistic regression models on data from India's 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey-3 (NFHS-3). The findings of this study show that out-migration of men has not had a significant impact on the emancipation of women. The common factors which increase the decision-making power and mobility of women and lessen the social restrictions placed on them are age, their educational attainment, marital duration, occupation and residence in urban areas.

MIGRATION AND GENDER IDENTITY IN THE RURAL PHILIPPINES

Remittances associated with labor migration have been hailed by many as the most direct form of development to rural migrant-sending areas of the Global South, but focusing only on the quantity of cash flows does little to contextualize how migration has transformed social structures in rural areas. Through a qualitative focus on divisions of agrarian labor and decision-making, this article illustrates how the out-migration of men from rural areas of the Philippines is challenging preexisting gender ideologies of agricultural labor. The article examines how wives “left-behind” by their migrant husbands negotiate forms of farm work and responsibility that are culturally prescribed as “masculine.” While a number of studies have detailed how female migration can destabilize conventional gender roles—as housebound husbands are shown to take up social reproductive work often considered “feminine”—the impacts of male migration on the participation of housebound wives in productive farming practices has been less studied. This article presents several vignettes of stay-at-home mothers who venture into farming and it analyzes how these women interpret their own gender identity.

Celebrating Mountain Women: Moving Mountains, Moving Women

Abstract Mountains are the mainstay of local economies, providing valuable resources for livelihoods. But they are not immune to change because mountain people go out into the outside world, and the world comes into their lives. In this context, mountain women face many challenges, for example, those brought about by out-migration of men and young people from their communities, by external commercial interests that exploit mountain resources, and by changes in their roles and responsibilities. In this International Year of Mountains, a major forum, “Celebrating Mountain Women,” aims to support women and highlight their needs and achievements so that these are reflected and integrated in public policy and in decision-making agendas. Several factors are required to ensure that women are an integral part of sustainable mountain development: more mountain-specific and local research; assistance with entrepreneurship, information, and raising awareness of their rights; and networking among mountain women and v...