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The effects of male out-migration on household food security in rural Nepal

Author

Listed:
  • Jeeyon Janet Kim

    (Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Mercy Corps)

  • Elizabeth Stites

    (Tufts University
    Tufts University
    Tufts University)

  • Patrick Webb

    (Tufts University)

  • Mark A. Constas

    (Cornell University)

  • Daniel Maxwell

    (Tufts University
    Tufts University)

Abstract

In Nepal, international migration is a highly gendered phenomenon. Compared to global figures, where women make up about half of the world’s migrant population, 90% of Nepalese migrants are men. Many of these men migrate alone to earn wages abroad while their families stay behind. This level of male out-migration in Nepal occurs in a context characterized by widespread food insecurity. This paper examines the effects of male out-migration on household food security, especially on the women who stay behind, in the mountains of Far West Nepal. Our findings from in-depth interviews and focus group discussions suggest that male out-migration both alleviates and exacerbates households’ experiences of insufficient quantity and inadequate quality of food, and uncertainty and worry about food. Migration can benefit households that stay behind through remittances which help cover basic expenses, and by facilitating access to loans and credit, and alleviating anxiety about having enough to eat. However, it comes at high costs. Men report undignified, unsafe, and difficult working conditions in India. Women bear additional childcare, fieldwork, and housework responsibilities. Limited male agricultural labor also hampers agricultural productivity and increases households’ reliance on markets to meet basic needs. Drawing on gender- and caste-specific findings, our study highlights the importance of looking beyond the financial aspects of migration when examining its effects on food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeeyon Janet Kim & Elizabeth Stites & Patrick Webb & Mark A. Constas & Daniel Maxwell, 2019. "The effects of male out-migration on household food security in rural Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 719-732, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:3:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00919-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-019-00919-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hein de Haas & Aleida van Rooij, 2010. "Migration as Emancipation? The Impact of Internal and International Migration on the Position of Women Left Behind in Rural Morocco," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(1), pages 43-62.
    2. Unknown, 2014. "Department Publications 2013," Publications Lists 206935, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sriroop Chaudhuri & Mimi Roy & Louis M. McDonald & Yves Emendack, 2021. "Coping Behaviours and the concept of Time Poverty: a review of perceived social and health outcomes of food insecurity on women and children," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 1049-1068, August.
    2. Siemen van Berkum, 2023. "How Urban Growth in the Global South Affects Agricultural Dynamics and Food Systems Outcomes in Rural Areas: A Review and Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    3. Tran, Thong Anh, 2019. "Land use change driven out-migration: Evidence from three flood-prone communities in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    4. Leder, Stephanie & Upadhyaya, Rachana & van der Geest, Kees & Adhikari, Yuvika & Büttner, Matthias, 2024. "Rural out-migration and water governance: Gender and social relations mediate and sustain irrigation systems in Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).

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