RETURN MIGRATION, GENDERED REMITTANCES, AND EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION IN PUNJAB, PAKISTAN: A DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract: This paper investigates the intersection of return migration, remittance practices, gender norms, and educational change in rural Punjab, Pakistan. Building on development theory and informed by transnational mobility scholarship, the study examines how male returnee migrants channel economic and social remittances into local educational ventures, particularly those aimed at girls' access to schooling. Returnees often act as cultural intermediaries, negotiating between global exposure and local traditions to influence educational choices. Based on 32 in-depth interviews and two village-level case studies conducted between 2023 and 2024, the research reveals how returnees act as informal development actors, introducing new values and priorities shaped by their experiences abroad, especially in the Gulf countries. The findings suggest that remittances are not merely financial flows but gendered investments with transformative potential: returnees often support the construction of private schools, subsidize female education, and promote technical and vocational training. However, these efforts are uneven and constrained by persistent patriarchal norms, fragmented educational governance, and limited state intervention. The paper argues for a reconceptualization of remittances not just as economic tools but as vehicles of socio-educational innovation. The study concludes with a set of policy recommendations to integrate returnee experiences into local education planning, emphasizing the need for institutional support to amplify the gender-progressive impacts of migration-led development. In doing so, it contributes to a broader understanding of how transnational mobility reshapes educational aspirations and practices at the local level