Does migration contribute to women’s empowerment? Portrait of urban Turkey and Istanbul

What is it about?

This article empirically investigates the impact of internal migration on women’s empowerment in urban areas of Turkey. Based on data from a nationally representative household survey, we find that migration exerts a positive impact in urban settings through improvements in educational attainment and labor market outcomes. Migration contributes to women’s empowerment by raising their education levels and lowering the gap in schooling between men and women. Migration also allows migrants, both men and women and particularly those with tertiary education, to access jobs and occupations in high wage regions like Istanbul. However, unlike in education, a gender wage gap persists even after migration.

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Why is it important?

This article empirically investigates the impact of internal migration on women’s empowerment in urban areas of Turkey. Based on data from a nationally representative household survey, we find that migration exerts a positive impact in urban settings through improvements in educational attainment and labor market outcomes. Migration contributes to women’s empowerment by raising their education levels and lowering the gap in schooling between men and women. Migration also allows migrants, both men and women and particularly those with tertiary education, to access jobs and occupations in high wage regions like Istanbul. However, unlike in education, a gender wage gap persists even after migration.