Dynamics of female migration in India

Migration in India is an intrinsic part of development which is influenced by socio-economic changes and pattern of development. Migration arises out of various social, cultural, economic or political reasons. For a large country like India, the complexity of movement of population in different parts of the country helps in understanding the dynamics of the society.

Migration leads to a change in status of women who play a major role in development of economy. In India, research on female migration is limited and undermined. However, with the emergence of globalization, it is vital to understand the female migration behavior. From social to economic reasons, female migration reveals the changing role of women in the country. Marriage is still an important reason for female migration. More Indian women are open to migration within the country than men as per the latest report published by the statistics and program implementation ministry. The 14th issue of the report titled “Women and men in India-2012” states that 61 per cent of urban women migrate due to marriage as against 91 per cent in rural India. Migration due to studies and employment still ranks low among rural women as only 0.7% and 0.5% migrate from rural to urban areas respectively.

This paper tries to explore the dynamics of women migration in India, the pattern and causes of women migration. The study is based on the secondary data which includes Census data of 2001, NSSO 55^th Round (1999–2000) and NSSO 64^th Round (2007–2008). Other sources of secondary data includes published literature from the Internet, journals, books etc.