Kinship, Gender & Migration from a Rural Caribbean Community

Emigration from developing countries may be influenced by kinship, which has different effects on men and women. A strong family at home may inhibit migration, and kin living abroad may encourage it. This study examines effects of kin on odds of migration for men (N=200) and women (N=220) from a rural community in the Commonwealth of Dominica. Multiple logistic regression showed that women were more likely than men to migrate. Number of matrilateral kin in the community was associated with women’s migration but not with men’s. Maternal grandmothers resident in the community were associated with decreased odds that women migrate.