Should she stay or should she go?

Abstract

Using bilateral migration data by IAB, this paper provides a gravity model specification of international migratory flows from developing and least developed countries to 20 OECD countries by assuming a gender perspective. Data cover the period 1980-2010 (five years intervals). Additional control variables are used to take into account the specific dynamics of international human flows. In particular, we assessed the role of social institutions and social environment features. On the one hand, country specific social institutions in both origin and destination countries can be considered as additional determinants of emigration in both origin and destination countries for both females and males. However, some gender specific social indicators have not significant impact on female decision to migrate, suggesting the absence of any push/pull process. Disaggregating women flows per level of educational attainment provide more insights for the push/selection theory in origin countries. High difference in gender-specific social institutions in sending countries, reduces the probability of female emigration, limiting their power to take choices. In addition, countries with relative lower levels of Civil Liberties experience higher high-skilled out-flows while countries with lower levels of Political Rights experience lower female out-flows. Results suggest there exists different effects of determinants of migration on the selection and the flow process and the effects of variables changes among destination-origin.