The Migration Experience of the Women Who Stay Behind

Abstract

This article explores the challenges that migration poses to the families’ relationship and to the women who stay behind in their homeland. Such challenges are presented differently within each type of family since the bonds established in a married couple vary from the ones established in divorced couples. For years, research on migration processes has mainly focused on analyzing the relationship between migrant parents and stayers in the home country. Yet, there are scarce studies referring to how migration shapes the relationship between couples and especially, how migration is perceived from the perspective of the women who stay behind. Thus, the study presents the results of a thorough examination on how male migration is seen from the left-behind women’s perspective. The main findings show that from the women’s perspective separation is seen as a challenge since it forces them to take on new responsibilities within their households, without abandoning their traditional task as caregivers.