The role of women in internal migration in Zambia
Nag, P.
Population Geography a Journal of the Association of Population Geographers of India 5(1-2): 60-69
1999
ISSN/ISBN: 0256-5331 PMID: 12179105 Document Number: 423127
Zambia's urban population increased from 29% to 43% between 1969-80. Female migration, although modest, played an important role in improving the sex ratio in urban areas. In 1980, there were 962 males/1000 females in Zambia as a whole and 1061/1000 in the urban areas. This compares with 960 males/1000 females in Zambia as a whole in 1969 and 1113/1000 in the urban areas. This overall decrease in the number of males/1000 females in urban areas has had implications for Zambian household structure and for the matrilineal social structure. The single male household traditional to urban areas can be expected to be increasingly replaced by complete households of larger size. Family size has tended to be smaller in provinces that have been affected by outmigration. The historically different propensities of males and females to participate in internal migration has meant that the actual number of family units has been smaller than the potential number. However, this pattern can be expected to normalize as female migration continues to increase. In rural areas, this trend should lead to a decline in the number of female household heads and implications for matrilineal land ownership patterns and agricultural output.