Long-Term Benefits from Temporary Migration: Does the Gender of the Migrant Matter?

Sri Lankan J Agric Econ

Weerahewa

Samarathunga

2019

Using a nationally representative data set, we examine whether the individuals' bargaining power within households affects allocation of remittances in estate households in Sri Lanka. Two separate fractional logit models were estimated within the Engle's Curve framework for male headed and female headed households to examine the intra household bargaining on decision making with respect to resource allocation. The results suggest that while female headed households allocate international remittances on food, male headed households allocate such on housing. The results further reveal that internal remittances contribute more for food, communication, entertainment, non-durables, transport and ad hoc purchases of male headed households. The influence of remitters on allocation for the food expenditure is relatively small but it is high for education, housing, health, consumer goods, durables and expenditure for ad hoc purchases, entertainment and transport. Overall, the study concludes that remitter has a greater say over the allocation of household resources over expenditures other than food and housing whereas household head play a significant role in allocating remittances on food and housing.

Section: Migration Gender and Expenditure Patternmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender and Intra-household Allocation of Remittances: Evidence from Estate Sector of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan J Agric Econ

Weerahewa

Samarathunga

2019

“…They also notice that there are no long-term improvements in family well-being due to remittances, as there is a detrimental effect on children left behind when the mother migrates. A study using data from Sri Lanka integrated survey (1999)(2000) and De Silva (2013) found that remittances from females abroad are used for home improvements and acquiring farmland and nonfarm assets.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration, remittances and household welfare: evidence from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Jnl Econ. Res.

Karunarathna

2022

This study attempts to determine the effect of migration and remittances on household welfare in Sri Lanka by using a nationally representative data set collected by the Department of Census and Statistics of Sri Lanka in 2016. As the households that receive remittances are systematically different from those that do not receive remittances, the paper employs the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique to avoid any selectivity bias arising from this non-randomness. An aggregate asset index and per capita expenditure were used as welfare measures. Results suggest that household head characteristics, human capital variables and regional characteristics are the main determinants of receiving local and international remittances. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) and factor score analysis suggest that asset indices for productive and consumer assets of international remittance-receiving households are higher than that of the local remittance-receiving households with similar assets. The results of the OLS regression suggest that local and international remittances-receiving households gain higher welfare in terms of the asset index and per capita expenditure. International remittances tend to have a more substantial effect on the welfare of households in Sri Lanka. This study concludes that remittances improve household welfare and recommends that migration should be promoted further.

“…However, positive impacts suggest that remittances lead to increase income of the households, whereby the poverty is reduced since the remittances, in most cases, are monetary transfers. Remittances also change the household investment, asset accumulation, children's education and health (De Silva, 2013 and.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of Migration and Remittances on Livelihood Security: Insights from the Estate Sector of Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan J Agric Econ

2021

The purpose of this study was to find out the effect of migration on the livelihood security of the estate sector in Sri Lanka as none of the other reported studies covered livelihood security issues with respect to whole country. Data for the study come from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (2016) conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics of Sri Lanka. A composite index approach was applied to construct the livelihood security index which was formulated based on economic security, food security, education security, health security, and habitat security. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was employed to illustrate the impact of migration and remittances on livelihood security and its outcomes, while addressing the self-selection problem. Average treatment effect (ATT) results showed significant differences in ATT effect of remittances on economic security, food security, and education security, and no significant difference in ATT of receiving remittances with health security and habitat security. Remittance receiving households consisted of high education security and health security than the non-remittance-receiving households with low economic security, food security, and habitat security. The study concludes that migration and remittances affect livelihood security of estate sector households positively.