The study Gender and Remittances: Colombian Migration from the Central Western Metropolitan Area (AMCO), prepared by UN-INSTRAW and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), analyzes the dynamics of migration from the Central-Western Metropolitan Area (AMCO) in Colombia to Spain, the flow of remittances sent and received by women and the impact of those remittances on the development of their communities of origin.
According to the study, the migratory flow from the AMCO Area (municipalities of Pereira, Dosquebradas and La Virginia) to Spain was highly feminized at its beginnings in the mid-90s. New labour markets for migrants in Spain and the creation of regional and family networks of women migrants created the conditions to initiate the migratory process. Other non-economic reasons, such as gender inequalities in the country of origin or the need to escape from conflict (gender violence, forced displacement, widowhood, among others), were also cited as incentives for female migration.
Women’s migration generally results in leaving sons and daughters in the care of grandmothers and it is more likely that the family will be reunited in the destination country than that the migrant woman will return home. When the man migrates, he will more often find a new partner in the destination country and will no longer send remittances to his family in Colombia.
“Gender dynamics of transnational households show a gradual change in traditional roles. On the one hand a progressive empowerment can be observed in women who migrate and become the main providers for their households, as well as in women who become the recipients of remittances in the country of origin. On the other hand, a notable participation on the part of men in child-rearing and household tasks is evident in Colombian households as well as in reunified households in Spain,” explained Mar Garcia, Researcher on Gender, Migration and Development at UN-INSTRAW.
Despite the fact that the causes for migration are occasionally different for men and for women, both remit similar amounts. However, it must be emphasized that because women’s salaries are notably lower, their remittances consume a greater proportion of their income than men’s. “54%of remittances received in the AMCO region are sent by women. Women send money to their families in Colombia more continuously and more frequently than men. Women who remain in Colombia constitute 70.7% of all remittance recipients, which shows a marked difference towards the female administration of remittances”, stated Jose Angel Oropeza, Head of Mission at IOM in Colombia.
The study also found that remittances sent by women tend to increase household investment (mainly in food and services). An important percentage of remittances is also assigned to educational and health expenses. As to other types of investment, it is observed that there is an interest in purchasing houses in Spain as well as in Colombia. This practice does not represent a productive initiative for recipient households in Colombia, but an increase in the household’s capital through savings.
In the case of female-headed households with male migrants, investment is drastically reduced and remittances finance basic necessities such as food. This is due to the fact that male migration is often motivated by the opportunity to allow women to leave their jobs and care for children.
This study combines the qualitative analysis of interviews with migrants, remittance- recipients, key informants and representatives of associations, and was carried out by Alma Mater in the AMCO region and by UN-INSTRAW in Spain. The study also draws on statistical information compiled for another Study on International and Migration and Remittances in Colombia, which was carried out in 2004 by Alianza País, organized by OIM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Programme “Colombia Nos Une” (Colombia Unites Us) the National Administrative Department for Statistics (Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadísticas - DANE), The National Central Bank, the Association of Exchange Institutions of Colombia (ASOCAMBIARIA), the Americas-Spain Association Solidarity and Cooperation (AESCO), the Network of Public Universities of the Coffee Region (ALMA MATER) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Colombia is one of the Latin American countries with the greatest flow of migrants. The appraisals made by DANE – the National Administrative Department of Statistics of Colombia - show that during 2005, 3.3 million Colombians lived overseas, which is equivalent to 7.3%of the country’s total population.
Listen to the researcher's interview with UN Radio (available in Spanish)
Read the complete study
Read the fact-sheet on remittances in Colombia
Read the fact-sheet on Colombian migration to Spain
About UN-INSTRAW
The United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women is devoted to applied research, training and knowledge management in partnership with governments, the United Nations Agencies, civil society and academia to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment.
About IOM
The International Organization for Migration is the leading inter-governmental organization in the field of migration and works closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners.
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