SDG5, gender equality

#FamilyRemittances

Achieve gender equality
and empower all women
and girls

How remittance families contribute to the goal

  • Women migrant workers now comprise half of all remittance senders: 100 million in total.
  • Remittances transform the economic role of women both on the sending side and receiving end through financial independence and better employment opportunities.
  • While women remit approximately the same amount as men, women tend to send a higher proportion of their income regularly and consistently, even though they generally earn less than men.

Recommended actions

  • • Recognize that 50 per cent of all migrant workers are women and empower them to overcome the traditional bias against financial independence and control.
  • • Invest in advisory services for women to meet entrepreneurial aspirations, improve income management and ultimately enable family reunification.
  • • Expand gender-sensitive financial services and sensitize remittance service providers on gender and migration dynamics.