Gendering remittances in Albania: a human and social development perspective

Abstract

Gender issues are of central importance to both migration and development. The study of migrant remittances has been at the heart of the fast-growing literature on migration and development. And yet, surprisingly, remittances and gender issues have rarely been brought together as a subject of inquiry. Based on recent research in south-east Albania, our paper aims to address this gap. We do this in three ways. First, we examine who sends, who receives, and who uses remittances, from a gender perspective. Second, we go beyond looking at financial transfers, to consider non-monetary remittances. Third, we analyse how gender relations and gendered social norms shape migration and remitting patterns; and how these, in turn, affect gender relations in migrant households and in origin communities. Although the unit of analysis is the transnational household, spanning rural Albania and urban Greece, the different experiences of individual migrant women and men are central. These perspectives in turn inform recommendations for researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

Keywords:

• gender
• remittances
• human development
• Albania

Notes

1. All informants' names used in this paper are pseudonyms.

2. For an overview of these earlier migrations see King and Vullnetari (2003).

3. Although these refer to a range of non-monetary transfers, including ideas related to political systems and democracy, we only focus here on gender relations. For a more comprehensive analysis of the various non-monetary remittances see our discussion in Vullnetari and King (forthcoming).