How might international migration play a role in promoting gender equality?

International migration is the movement of people out of their country of origin and into host countries, either forced or voluntary. It may have an impact in promoting gender equality as it leads to the economic migration of women, could lead to changing perceptions about women's roles in society and may lead to financial empowerment through the receipt of remittances. 

The international migration of women for economic purposes (particularly from less developed to more developed countries) would lead to improved incomes and better access to services (e.g. healthcare) that improve their quality of life, reducing gender disparity they experience in their home country. Such an example would be Filipino women working in UK domestic services that through their migration have augmented their own standards of living through higher income. There is also a cultural aspect whereby international migration (from developing to developed countries again) educates female and male migrants on 'Western' ideals of gender equality (despite not being entirely achieved e.g. UK pay gap). Such ideas include the important of girls' education or the right to sexual health and autonomy and these may be transferred to the migrant's country of origin by their return or their continuous contact (telecommunications/internet) with friends and relatives in the home country. It ought to be considered however that such cultural transfer could be purely ideological, changing bottom-up attitudes towards women but not fundamentally altering the socio-economic structure they find themselves in. Gender equality may result from the receipt of remittances from family members that have migrated. In the absence of the male migrant, women may be in charge of the household and allocate household income recieved as remittances as they wish. This empowers them financially and gives them the means to spend the money on gender-related services e.g. girls’ education, female health. Remittances can amount to be significant e.g. in El Salvador remittances make up 20% GDP, therefore they could lead to significant improvements in socio-economic status of women.

Therefore, it can be seen that international migration plays an important role in achieving gender equality. The progress is greatest when it involves movement of women for better economic opportunities and through the spread of ideas about gender and flow of remittances, international migration may not only improve female empowerment for female migrants but also for the women left behind in their countries of origin.