Migration, Gender Roles and Remittances of Ghanaian Migrants Abroad

Abstract

The study employs secondary data by comprehensively reviewing, analysing and discussing relevant literature on the gendered dimension of migration and remittance flow with respect to Ghanaian female migrants. The study examines the extent to which modification of gender roles of migrants abroad contribute to the flow of remittances with respect to Ghanaian female migrants. Overall, the study identified that there exist a relationship between, women, migration and remittances. The study found out that female migrants send approximately the same amount of remittances as male migrants. However, research suggests that women tend to send a higher proportion of their income, even though they generally earn less than men. They also usually send money more regularly and for longer periods of time. It was identified that women remit more of their earnings than men due to pressures from external family members and a sense of responsibility toward their families. This makes women accept very difficult working and living conditions which under normal circumstance they might not have accepted. While men in migration are more likely to return to their country of origin, women are not, in the sense that for the men, their status and respect is reduced abroad whereas for the women it is increased. Therefore whilst the women send a greater portion of their salaries as remittance, men use their salaries to invest and acquire property at their home countries. Finally, it was identified that there is a modification of gender roles among Ghanaian families abroad, especially in Europe and North America. This change offered more opportunities to women economically and are easily integrated in the economy of the host country. Consequently it helped them to assume the role of “bread winner” with is usually reserved for males at home. This reconfiguration of roles made Ghanaian women abroad more assertive at home and economically freed which added to their ability to remit at any given time without restrictions. This Ghanaian context of gender reconfiguration and the status of women at destination countries therefore supports and explains why women are economically empowered and tend to remit largely than men.