Reassessing the role of partnered women in migration decision-making and migration outcomes

Previous research on women and internal family migration has tended to conclude that women are usually passive, subordinate, followers, or victims in the migration process because of the nature of their relationship to men. This study focuses on the independent (unsponsored) migrant rather than the corporate mover, which allows us to see how partnered women initiate and benefit from migration because of their sense of control over the process. While some women may still follow men in relocation, partnered women have their own labor-force interests at the destination and relational issues are critical in the migration process. Active participation in migration decision-making by women contributes to greater satisfaction with relocation.