Crossing Borders: Remittances, Gender and Development

This paper is INSTRAW's contribution to the current debate on the link between remittances and development. Its purpose is to present key elements for the development of a preliminary framework that will strengthen the understanding of the interrelationships between migration, gender, remittances and development and also serve as an entry point for future research and project proposals.

The first section describes the feminization of migration within the context of globalization. The second reviews the relevant literature on remittances, while in the third section, the relationship between gender and remittances is explored and a theoretical framework for a gendered analysis of remittances is established. The fourth section explores experiences in the use of remittances for promoting development and the impact of remittances on poverty reduction and gender equality. The final section concludes with some recommendations for future research.