The main objective of the study was to examine the effects of rural-urban migration on women empowerment in Mwanza City. The study problem is that while progress has been made in empowering women in urban areas through outmigration, this chance has not been fully investigated. The conceptual framework used a modified version of Mabogunje's Systems Approach to a Theory of rural-urban migration which shows that migration changes women into urbanites which empowers them to make progress decision in livelihood. Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods were used. 385 female respondents were included in the survey. The dependent women's empowerment variable was measured against thirteen independent demographic and socio-economic variables. Descriptive, bivariate and logistic models were used for testing. The findings pertaining to the first objective were that age, marital status, education, life dissatisfaction, pressure by friends and or family members, and endemic poverty were key determinants of migration and empowerment. Activities of female migrants in towns formed the second objective of the study. The findings showed that women's activities are mainly of the informal economy and form the new labour source of migrants. The third objective was on female empowerment. Variables mainly education of girls, contribution to family income, ownership of economic resources, mobility freedom, awareness of human rights and domestic decision making, showed a significant positive relationship with women empowerment. The impact of female migrants's empowerment on rural-urban linkages was the fourth objective. The findings were that visitations and advice-seeking patterns, ownership of rural property, participation in economic and social activities and remittances formed the fulcrum. Empowered female migrants rendered positive impact to their rural homes. The general policy implication is that policy makers should understand female migration to urban centres as not only a survival strategy but impacts on women's life by contributing to their empowerment.
Rural-Urban, Migration, Female and Empowerment
