A Study of the role of women in decision-making for family migration to Tehran province

The majority of women in family migration flow are considered as tied migrants and their role in migration decision-making has generally been neglected. The aim of this study is to explain the role of women in decision-making for family migration to Tehran province. The target population includes women who have migrated to Tehran province during 2007-2017. Conducting a sample survey, a total of 500 migrant women were interviewed in the cities of Tehran and Mallard. The findings indicate that women’s participation in the decision-making has significant positive relationships with their dissatisfaction with the origin place, and power in the family. The participation in female-oriented migrations is stronger compared to those in child-oriented and husband-oriented migrations. Women with pre-migration familiarity and contacts with the destination have shown to be more active in migration decision-making than their other counterparts. Migrant women have utilized family migration as a strategy to eliminate the social constraints in the origin, to improve the family economic situation, and to enhance their children’s future security. In view of further improvement of women’s status in the country, it is expected that women’s role in migration will increase.