Gendered Terrain of Migration: Variations in International Migrant Populations

Abstract

This paper navigates the gendered landscape of international migration by estimating and examining age-standardized gender ratios of foreign-born stocks in 56 countries for years ranging from 1960 to 2008 in order to gauge the extent of feminization of international migration. I focus on major destination countries in North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and examine the gender composition of the three largest immigrant groups in these destinations to map the gendered circuits of migration. Findings reveal that although there is considerable variation in the gender composition of immigrant populations across space and time, there is an upward trend, albeit modest, in women’s representation in foreign-born populations. In addition, each region has complex and unique migration circuits, with some countries attracting more women while others attract more men.