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Migration-induced transfers of norms: the case of female political empowerment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 November 2020

Elisabetta Lodigiani  and
Sara Salomone
Elisabetta Lodigiani
Affiliation:
University of Padua and Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, Via del Santo, 33, 35123Padova, Italy
Sara Salomone*
Affiliation:
Ugent and UNU-CRIS, Potterierei 72, 8000Brugge, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail: sara.salomone79@gmail.com
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Abstract

This paper empirically investigates the effect of transnational migrants on gender equality in the country of origin measured by the share of women enrolled in the lower chamber of National Parliaments. We test for a “migration-induced transfer of norm” using panel data from 1970 to 2010 in 10-year intervals. Total international migration has a positive and significant effect on female political empowerment in countries of origin conditional on the initial female parliamentary participation in both origin and destination countries. Endogeneity issues are taken into account and results are tested under specific geo-political subsamples.

Keywords

Endogeneitygender discriminationinternational migrationpanel data

JEL classification

C33: Panel Data Models • Spatio-temporal Models F22: International Migration J16: Economics of Gender • Non-labor Discrimination D72: Political Processes: Rent-Seeking, Lobbying, Elections, Legislatures, and Voting Behavior
Type
Research Papers
Information
Journal of Demographic Economics , Volume 86 , Issue 4 , December 2020 , pp. 435 - 477
Copyright
Copyright © Université catholique de Louvain 2020

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