How Migration Projects Influence Union Formation in DR Congo? A Multi-Site and Event-History Analysis

Jocelyn Nappa Usatu
Bruno D. Schoumaker, Université Catholique de Louvain
Cris Beauchemin, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

This paper focuses on the migration project as an agent of changes in marriage in Africa. Most research on the effect of migration is about actual migration. This paper focuses on the effect of migration project on marriage. The theoretical proposition is that migration impacts individuals’ behaviors in origin countries even though migration has not (yet) occurred. The aim is to determine whether non-migrants in the city of Kinshasa (DR Congo) with a migration project tend to delay marriage or entry into union. The sub-Saharan context is relevant, as intentions to migrate are widespread and out-migration is highly constrained. The data come from the MAFE surveys. They include information on migration projects and migration histories, as well as union histories in origin and destination countries. Using event history models, the results confirm the influence of the migration project on the timing of union among men and women in Kinshasa.

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 Presented in Session 4. Marriage, Family, Households, & Unions