Gendered migration responses to drought in Malawi
Journal article: Migration is a common means of adaptation to weather shocks. Previous research has identified heterogeneous effects according to age, sex, and wealth, but little is still known about how marriage-related institutions affect such migration. Relying on a quasi-experimental identification strategy, we analyze marriage- and work-related migration in Malawi following large droughts, separating the effects for female and male migrants according to different age groups. The analysis based on stated motives of migration reveals marginal decreases in marriage-related migration among girls, but increases in marriage-related migration within districts for women in older age groups. We also find large increases in work-related between-district migration for boys, and to a smaller extent also for girls following severe drought. The results add to the evidence of the potentially adverse effects of migration as a coping mechanism following drought when other means of insurance do not exist.
Author(s)
Luis Guillermo Becerra-Valbuena, Katrin Millock
Journal
- Journal of Demographic Economics
Date of publication
- 2021
Keywords JEL
Keywords
- Child marriage
- Climate change
- Droughts
- Internal migration
- Sub-Saharan Africa
Pages
- 437-477
URL of the HAL notice
Version
- 1
Volume
- 87