Why Do Women Migrate Internally? Empirical Analysis of Determinants in the Case of Albania

Abstract

Political changes in the early 1990s were associated by a series of economic and social changes, among which one the most important has been the migration. A considerable number of Albanians fled abroad or were displaced from less developed areas to more developed regions in search of better economic opportunities and better conditions of life. The main purpose of this study is to assess the determinants of internal migration in Albania during the transition period from a gender perspective. To analyze the determinants of migration is used multilevel logistic model, because this model approach aims to connect micro and macro models based in individual, family or contextual decisions level to migrate. On the basis of this model not only is analyzed the impact of the explanatory variables on the probability to migrate, but important conclusions arise regarding the existing differences in the probability to migrate between different categories. The contribution of this paper is emipirical and policy orientation; empirically, the study concludes that there are various factors that motivate women in the individual and family level and therefore has important implications for the design of gender-specific policies, particularly in the field of rural development. The findings in this study provide strong support for many of the traditional factors affecting migration, which include mobility by age, educational level, employment status. More importantly, it offers some findings related to the impact of family size and educational level of education on the probability to migrate.