The Gendered Impact of Migration and Remittances on Educational Attainment and School Enrollment: The Case of Nicaragua

Abstract

This study analyzes the gendered impact of migration and remittances, the money sent by foreign migrants to their home country, on the children in the receiving households. Previous studies have found that the influx of remittances in the receiving households increases children’s educational attainment because there is more income to be allocated to it, but does that increasing trend shift based on the gender of the person that migrates? This question is tested using regression analysis on data from the World Bank 2005 Nicaraguan Living Standards Measurement Study (Encuesta Nacional de Hogares sobre Medicion de Niveles de Vida 2005) to examine relationships between the gender of the remitter and the education level attained by their children that remain in Nicaragua. I found that the presence of remitters in the household increases the education of children by a year, and the presence of a female remitter increases the education of young girls by almost four years. Lastly, the presence of a male remitter increases 8 to 12 year old boys likelihood of school enrollment and the same holds for female remitters and 8 to 12 year old girls.