Male Migration and Female Empowerment the Impact of Male Migration on the Women Left Behind in Urban Lebanon

Abstract

Women’s empowerment is important for gender equality and development (Sen 1999) and has been recognised by the international society as a Millennium Development Goal (UNDP 2008). This thesis investigated how male migration and remittances affect the empowerment of the women left behind in urban Lebanon. The literature review showed a gap in the research on the social impacts of migration and remittances, especially including a gender dimension. Based on empirical data collected, i.e. qualitative interviews and an online survey, the research analysed the empowerment of the women left behind through three dimensions; resources, agency and achievements, which are presented in the analytical framework by Kabeer (1999). This study discussed the use of Kabeer’s three-dimensional framework for analysing women’s empowerment in a context of male migration. This research showed that the impact on the women left behind is not uniform, but rather presents a complex picture. However, on an overall level this thesis concluded that there is no indication of an empowerment process being initiated as a result of male migration.