The Dynamics of Migration and Gender: A Theoretical Review with Reference to Research in North India

There is a significant gap in the knowledge on the political impact of internal migration on local communities in North India on the women who are left behind in the village. This article attempts to review the existing literature on the question of how political development and women's empowerment in the villages is affected by male migration. The finding indicates that migration influences institutions such as patriarchy and women's agency. This article concludes that while no distinct negative linkage with mobility and political participation can be discerned, yet it falls to politically empower the women who are left behind. Past studies in other regions have indicated that both men's cumulative migration history and current migration status are positively associated with women's autonomy. Three intervening factors-women's employment outside the home, lower fertility and residential independence from extended family members—are consistent with a ‘direct'impact of men's absence on women's autonomy. The findings presented in this article indicate that these three factors do not necessarily lead to greater political empowerment or enhanced political agency of women in most cases.