Remittances and Changing Gender Power Relations in Recipient Households

Maria Aysa, Florida International University

This paper analyzes household expenditures strategies of male and female beneficiaries of remittances in the metropolitan area of Pereira, located in the coffee region of Colombia. The objective of the analysis is to study the role of migrants in redefining gender roles in their communities of origin through remittances. I compare expenditures profiles in six types of households, defined by their status as remittance beneficiaries, gender of the remitter, and gender of the household head. The differential patterns of expenditure are considered proxies for women’s empowerment at the household level. I argue that female beneficiaries expend more on human capital and living expenses than male beneficiaries. In the analysis I control for the presence of children, civil status, and the beneficiaries’ life cycle stage, among other variables.