Gender bias and the female brain drain

Abstract

This article contributes to the emerging literature on gender differences in the causes and consequences of brain drain. Differentiating between gender bias in the access to economic opportunities and gender differentials in economic outcomes, we find that differences in access have a significant impact on the emigration of highly skilled women relative to that of men. However, differentials in outcomes do not have a significant impact. Additionally, the structure of political institutions in the source countries does not have a significant impact on the difference in emigration rates.

Female Brain Drains and Women's Rights Gaps: A Gravity Model Analysis of Bilateral Migration Flows

“…None of these authors, then, derive the sort of non-linear relationship between women´s rights and relative female migration rates that arises from our model in section 3 below. 4 Our analysis, for example, offers a plausible reconciliation between the contradictory findings of Bang and Mitra (2011) and Baudassé and Baziller (2011). This reconciliation is based on acknowledging the fact that the extent of women´s rights determines the relative costs, as well as benefits, to migration.…”

“…To our knowledge, Bang and Mitra (2011), Baudassé and Baziller (2011), Naghsh Nejad (2013 and Ferrant and Tuccio (2013) are the only other papers to empirically assess the role of women´s rights and/or gender discrimination in determining female migration flows. Bang and Mitra (2011) attempt to proxy for "access to economic opportunities" and "economic outcomes"…”

“…Also, neither Ferrant and Tuccio (2013) nor Bang and Mitra (2011) and Baudassé and Baziller (2011) motivate their analyses with a formal model of how women´s rights affect the costs and benefits of female migration decisions relative to those of males. None of these authors, then, derive the sort of non-linear relationship between women´s rights and relative female migration rates that arises from our model in section 3 below.…”

“…Bang and Mitra (2011) attempt to proxy for "access to economic opportunities" and "economic outcomes"…”

Want Freedom, Will Travel: Emigrant Self-Selection According to Institutional Quality

“…3 Ariu et al (2014) and Poprawe et al (2015) examine differences in the quality of governance and corruption in relation to migration flows. Finally, papers by Bang and Mitra (2011), Baudassé and Baziller (2014), Naghsh Nejad (2013), Ferrant and Tuccio (2013), and Naghsh-Nejad and Young (2015) assess the role of women's rights provisions in determining, specifically, female migration flows.…”