Examining the Nexus between Migration, Gender Roles, Empowerment, and Subjective Wellbeing in Ghana: A Comparative Study Between Women Left Behind Married to Internal and International Migrants.
Abstract
This dissertation focuses on the changing living conditions of women left behind by their migrant husbands. The dissertation addresses three specific issues: 1) the disruptive effects of husbands’ migration and coping strategies adopted by the left behind women; 2) the changing gender roles and associated dis(empowerment); and 3) the subjective wellbeing of the left behind women. Although migration research has delved into these thematic issues in different spatial contexts, the predominant focus has typically been on international or internal migration or on comparing immigrant households with non-immigrant ones. While these studies provide valuable insights, there are still scholarly gaps in our understanding of the changing living experiences of women left behind married to internal and international migrants. This gap requires investigation because internal and international migration will likely have distinct consequences for populations left behind.
The dissertation employs a mixed-methods approach, drawing on qualitative insights derived from in-depth interviews and quantitative data from surveys with women left behind in Ghana’s Volta Region. The qualitative findings indicate four main disruptive effects experienced by participants: emotional, child-care, economic, and social challenges. While significant variations emerged in the social and economic challenges experienced by the women’s groups, there was consistency in issues relating to emotional and child-care challenges among the groups. The findings also highlighted the role of human agency in dealing with challenges resulting from husbands’ migration.
Concerning women’s empowerment, the qualitative findings show progress in women’s autonomy and spatial mobility following their husbands’ migration. Yet, there are discernible differences concerning access to financial resources and achievement of medium-term goals. Interestingly, wives of intercontinental migrants tend to have better access to financial resources and are more successful in realizing their medium-term future goals than those married to internal and interregional migrants.
Results from quantitative data analysis show that on average, women left behind married to international migrants have higher self-reported health, perceived happiness, and satisfaction with life compared to women left behind married to internal migrants.
In addition to its policy implications for policymakers, this work offers useful contributions to the realms of critical and social geography, gender studies, and migration studies.