Gender and Migration: A Sociological Analysis of Gender Differentials in Internal Migration in Iran

Migration, like any social process, is a gendered process. Motivations, constraints and opportunities of migration for males and females are different. Recently, women’s participation in migration movements is increased in quantitative and qualitative dimensions, even a subject entitled “feminization of migration” has been proposed in the literature.
Thus, the aim of paper is to analyze migratory behaviors of Iranian males and females and its determinants using micro-census data from the 2011 census. The results of paper showed that migration in Iran is a gendered process and male dominated. Males and females migrate for many different reasons and they play different roles in the migration process. Comparing with three-fourth of males, one-fourth of migrant females has an active role in the migration process. Multivariate analysis indicated almost three fourth of gender differences in having active role in migration process due to socio-economic inequalities. Thus, male-oriented economic structures and gender norms play an important role to explain gender differentials in internal migration in Iran.