Gender, Migration, and the Remittance Economy Among Transnational African Households

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 295–308

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001336

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Gender, Migration, and the Remittance Economy Among Transnational African Households

Names of Author: Mariama Diop¹ & Benjamin Kowalski²

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Sociology, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal; ²Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.

Abstract:
International migration from West Africa to Europe has increasingly feminized over the past two decades, with autonomous female migrants sending substantial financial remittances to support extended families back home. While female remitters play decisive roles in funding household education, healthcare, and housing construction, transnational family expectations frequently subject migrant women to intense moral scrutiny and unequal financial obligations compared to male migrants. Furthermore, women managing remittances within origin households navigate complex negotiations with male elders over resource control. This paper explores how transnational remittances reshape gender roles, authority, and intergenerational obligations between Senegal and Germany. Utilizing transnational feminist sociology, the study draws on paired interviews with 25 Senegalese female migrants in Germany and their remittance-receiving relatives in Dakar. We demonstrate that while migration enhances women’s economic leverage, enduring patriarchal norms continue to regulate how female wealth is legitimized.

Keywords: Gender and migration, remittance economy, transnational households, feminization of migration, household authority, Senegal, Germany, diaspora

Manuscript Timeline: Received: September 07, 2026; Revised: October 07, 2026; Accepted: October 11, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Diop, M., & Kowalski, B. (2026). Gender, Migration, and the Remittance Economy Among Transnational African Households. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 295–308. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001336

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