Exposure to Remittances: Theoretical and Empirical Implications for Gender

Exposure to remittance, or the benefits of remittances, is a new concept introduced to the scholarship of migration studies, and within this broad concept there are also important gender dimensions. Women constitute around half of the total international migration flow in today’s world; however, the amount of the remittance that they are exposed to is considerably lower than that of males. This paper argues that although females remit a higher proportion of their income than men, they enjoy less ‘exposure to remittance’ than men. One hundred one respondents (remitters and receivers) were interviewed using an open and closed ended questionnaire from seven selected countries in Asia. Conceptualization of ‘exposure to remittance’ has been made with empirical support. The level of exposure depends on a respective country’s social and cultural milieu. Females in Bangladesh (P?