Interregional and international migration as factors of gender disparities in the regions of Russia

Abstract

The subject of the study is the disproportion in the number of men and women at young ages in the regions of Russia. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of interregional and international migration on the formation of gender imbalances in the regions of Russia. As a hypothesis, it was assumed that the results of the analysis of migration statistics would coincide with the results presented in the 2020 census. The available statistical series of the inter-census period 2017-2019 were used for the study. The indicator of accumulated migration gender imbalance by the age of 29 was developed and applied and correlated with the population aged 25-29 years, maps were built based on the results obtained. It is noted that in most regions of Russia there is an emigration of women starting in very early childhood. Young women are actively moving out of poor regions, from regions with a low level of social development, mainly to metropolitan agglomerations of St. Petersburg and Moscow, Moving to agglomerations with expensive housing entails postponing marriage, a drop in the birth rate, regions lose their reproductive potential. At the same time, there is a labor immigration of young men, mainly from the republics of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, which, combined with the outflow of girls, creates a numerical male preponderance at young ages, especially in the resource-raw regions of the Far East and Siberia, in the coastal Kaluga region, in the Republic of Mordovia, which is confirmed by the 2020 census data. At the age of 25-29, there are departures of men from southern regions to more northern ones for forced work with separation from families, which negatively affects family life and demographic development. Income equalization is necessary to eliminate gender imbalances, correct negative demographic trends, increase fertility, and strengthen family ties. Financial resources, including resource and raw material rents, and bank capital should be used to raise wages, to recreate traditional industries in the southern regions and countries; and to create a high level of social infrastructure comfortable for families with children in the regions of the North. The results of the study can be applied in regional and international politics to develop government decisions involving large businesses to invest in countries and regions. The conduct of future gender studies by country and region will be closely linked to the quality and availability of statistical material on this topic.

Keywords

• gender inequality
• regions of russia
• migration
• gender
• demography
• women in russia