Abstract

The study assessed the trends, causes, and consequences of female migration from rural Punjab. Findings revealed that 13.34 per cent of rural households had at least one migrant member. The analysis of gender factors, including age, education, visa type, year of migration, and destination country, indicated a shift towards the feminization of migration. The student visa route has transformed the roles of women, shifting them from being subordinate and dependent to independent and empowered. Since 2015, females (80.1 per cent) have outnumbered males (70.2 per cent) in migration, with 64.3 per cent of females and 33.7 per cent of males migrating on student visas. Nearly 75 per cent were young (under 30), well-educated, and primarily moved to Canada (64.4 per cent). Low income, unemployment, governance issues, and drug abuse drove youth away. Strong political will, economic reforms, and awareness campaigns could help regulate this migration trend.

Keywords: Assets sold, borrowing, factors, funds, gender, impact, migration.
JEL Codes: G21, J16, O15.

Description

Indian Journal of Economics and Development
Volume 21 No. 3, September 2025, 000-000

https://doi.org/10.35716/IJED-24305

Impact Factor: 0.3 (Web of Science)
NAAS Score: 6.30 (2025)
Indexed in Scopus (SJR = 0.13)
Resurchify Impact Score: 0.23
UGC Approved (UGC Care List Group II)
Index Copernicus (ICV 2023: 105.09)