Male Out-Migration and its impact on women empowerment in West Bengal

In this paper, an attempt has been made to measure the empowerment of women in terms of sustained increase in income earning capacity accompanied by a freedom of choice in families which have come across out-migration of male members. This measure of empowerment of women is mainly based on three indicators, viz. restrictions placed on them, their decision-making powers and their mobility. This study shows that out-migration of male members has not generated any significant impact on the empowerment of women members of those families. The most general factors which increase mobility of women, the decision-making power and relatively less social restrictions placed on them are age, their education, marital duration, residential status and occupation.