Rural migration and the - PowerPoint Presentation

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Rural

migration

and the feminization of agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa

Jordan Chamberlin, Cristina Ramos, Mariam Gharib, Lucy Njogu, Alex Murphy, Rahma Adams

Background

Rural migration in Sub-Saharan AfricaDominated by young people,

especially young menRural to rural still more common, but many more typesMain reasons: land shortage and lack of economic opportunitiesGendered patternsThe feminization of agriculture in Sub-

Saharan AfricaPalacios-Lopez et al (2017): avg. labor share of

women

in crop production at 40%, great variation: around 50% in Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda, 37% in Nigeria, 29% in EthiopiaGender roles and activities of women in ag differ greatly across countriesRural out-migration affects HH dynamics and women’s roles but still much unknown

Does rural migration vary by area of origin in terms of remoteness?How are different types of migration shaped by gender, age and financial resources?How do HHs reallocate labor and agricultural management when someone migrates?Do reallocations differ by type of migration and by gender of migrant?Does rural migration lead to an increased participation and decision-making of women in ag?

Research Questions

Methodology: Mixed-Methods

Quantitative analysisLSMS-ISA household survey data1. Descriptive analysis of HH data Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia2. Econometric analysis of determinants of migration and labor allocation

Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia

Qualitative analysis

Data collection in

Ethiopia

and TanzaniaInterviews with women from sending HHsKey InformantsFocus group discussions

Interviews with migrantsTwo sites in each country chosen in terms of remoteness

Key findings

Male heads involved in seasonal migration

Increased labor burden on women but

not always

increase

in

decision-making power or control over income Many women consider

they do not have the knowledge to

make

decisions

over ag. or do not want to be in chargeYoung women also migrating from rural areas for workNegative consequences of migration:Failure to farm on time, theft of crops, burden on women“Failed” migration is common increased financial burdensTZ and ET very different in how women respond to migration: More optimistic and confident in their farming abilities in TZ Migration of young people  aging and feminization of agriculture?

Defining migration is a challenge Many types of “temporary” migration: seasonal, for a few days a week, for several months or husbands who just leave...Exit/out-migration rates peak in early 20s, but magnitude and gendered share of flows depend on migration definitionMost migrants are male BUT conditional on definitionSpatial patterns:Out-migration largest in higher-access areasRural destinations relatively more prevalent in lower-access areasUrban destinations more likely for men

Zambia

Questions/concerns

for discussionOut-migration imperfectly observed in HH survey data: Distinguishing migration from local HH exits not possible in many datasetsLagged/longer-term impacts generally not observable: inter-wave moves onlySeasonal moves under-represented

Harmonizing migration definitions across datasets is challengingExit/out-migration rates peak in early 20s, but magnitude of flows depends on how defined (Zambia)* Excludes rural-rural moves for non-work motives (which we cannot distinguish from non-migrant household exits)

* This definition will include non-migrant household exits

How can we better talk about the impact of migration (in general) on women when there are so many

different types

of migration?

Questions/concerns

for discussionSince migration in Sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by young people, is agriculture not also feminizing but also aging? E.g. many households where all children have leftHHs might receive remittances but these not always enough + negative consequences on agriculture + illness/death

Emotional toll on women who stay: frustration, powerlessness, feeling burdened and worriedMigration of young women for work: is this captured in surveys?

What are the best measures of a “feminization of agriculture”?

E.g

. in

qualitative work we find that after migration, women’s labor burden increased, but not necessarily their

decision-making power Does increased participation in ag. lead to broader changes

?

What

about

women who don’t consider themselves capable of making ag. decisions (lack of knowledge) or don’t want that responsibility?Stated reasons for migration (Zambia)