Kontakt 2019, 21(3):312-319 | DOI: 10.32725/kont.2019.026

Gender differentials in internal migration decisions: the case of Dilla Town, Southern EthiopiaSocial Sciences in Health - Original article

Million Yilma1, Nigatu Regassa2,*
1 Hawassa University, College of Education, Ethiopia
2 University of Saskatchewan, School of Public Health, Saskatoon, Canada

Introduction: Internal migration has become an increasingly important socioeconomic phenomenon in Ethiopia as the country has been passing through new economic and social order since the year 1991. This study was primarily aimed at examining the gender differentials in migration decisions based on data collected from a town in Southern Ethiopia.

Methods: The study used data collected from 216 randomly selected households from three sub-cities of Dilla Town. Both bivariate (chi-square) and multivariate analysis (logistic regression) were used to examine the gender differentials in migration decisions.

Results: The analysis showed the importance of gender differences in migration decisions; that migration is gender and age selective (p < 0.05). More females than males make planned migration decisions (p < 0.001). While males migrate mainly due to economic issues, females tend to migrate more due to familial issues (p < 0.001). More females opt to migrate for education while more males move for business. Female migrants appeared to have more positive impacts on their households at the place of origin through remittance. In the multivariate analysis, three factors appeared to have significant association with frequency of remittance (p < 0.05): regular communication, employment status and income.

Conclusions: The intention and decision of male and female migrants differs significantly; females tend to make a more planned migration involving household decision. The study suggests the need for in-depth investigation of the positive impacts of migration sex-age selective migration on the place of origin.

Keywords: Determinants; Differentials; Gender; Migration; Remittance

Received: September 14, 2018; Accepted: March 20, 2019; Prepublished online: April 26, 2019; Published: September 18, 2019  Show citation

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Yilma M, Regassa N. Gender differentials in internal migration decisions: the case of Dilla Town, Southern Ethiopia. Kontakt. 2019;21(3):312-319. doi: 10.32725/kont.2019.026.
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