Urbanization as a Gendered Process: Theory, Evidence, and Implications

Abstract This research note addresses the overlooked and undertheorized gendered dimensions of rural-urban migration in the developing world. Drawing on Ester Boserup's (1970/2007) framework, a macro-social theory is offered that links historic agricultural divisions of labor to gendered patterns of urbanization. Specifically, it is argued that nations with a history of male farming systems (MFS) are more likely to produce economic and cultural conditions that facilitate women's rural-urban migration when compared to nations with a history of female farming systems (FFS). From this, the notion of “open” and “closed” urban systems is conceptualized to help identify and categorize the gendered urbanization histories of developing nations, which are linked to women's rights. Empirical support for the concepts and their association with women's rights is presented using mapped data from 138 developing nations from 1985 to 2015. A nation-level t-test of the interactive proxy measure between nation-level male-to-female urban population ratios and the degree of women's exclusion reveals a significant difference between nations with open and closed urban systems (p < 0.01). The conclusion discusses the limitations of the theory and evidence, the implications of the findings, and future research directions.