The Association Between Shifts in Gender Role Attitudes and Settlement Intentions Among Rural Migrant Women: Evidence From Nanjing, China

ABSTRACT Rural migrant women in China face dual structural constraints stemming from gender norms and the household registration ( hukou ) system during the urban settlement process. However, the influence of shifts in gender role attitudes on settlement intentions remains insufficiently examined. Drawing on survey data collected in Nanjing, this study employs binary logistic regression and moderation analyses to examine the associations between attitudinal shifts and both long‐term residence intentions and hukou transfer intentions. The findings reveal a general trend towards the modernization of gender role attitudes among rural migrant women in urban contexts, alongside stronger hukou transfer intentions than long‐term residence intentions. Compared with women whose gender role attitudes have regressed, those whose attitudes remain stable exhibit significantly higher levels of both long‐term residence and hukou transfer intentions, while progressive shifts in gender role attitudes are associated with a greater propensity to express hukou transfer intentions. Moreover, social embeddedness and relational networks moderate the relationship between shifts in gender role attitudes and hukou transfer intentions. These results highlight the importance of promoting the modernization of gender role attitudes, reducing institutional barriers to integration and alleviating family caregiving burdens as essential strategies for enhancing the settlement intentions of rural migrant women.