Farmers’ perspectives on male out-migration and the future of agrarian livelihoods in Rwanda : case studies from Rudashya and Kiryango villages

Abstract: Rural out-migration is prevalent phenomenon throughout the Global South. In this study, I explore the effects of male out-migration on the agrarian livelihoods of the farmers‟ households in Rwanda. The study seeks to understand how male out-migration shapes agriculture and how the absence of men in the villages affects the workload of the left behind women and gender relations in farming activities. For data collection, the research employed qualitative methods; both semi-structured interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used in combination with personal field observation. The thesis is informed by phenomenological theories and I draw on the sustainable livelihood framework to interpret the empirical findings. The research revealed that the exodus of male farmers engenders both efficacious and detrimental effects on the agrarian livelihoods of the migrants' households. The positive effects, which are seldom, pivotally include the shift from subsistence farming to modern and commercial agriculture. On the other hand, the research unveiled the detrimental effects of male outmigration, which mainly stem from the withdrawal of workforce in farming activities. This affects adversely agriculture production in migrants‟ households because the earned remittances are not sufficient to recoup the shortage of labor force entailed by the absence of men. The agrarian change in migrants' households is contingent on the remittances and can only be beneficial when migrants are skilled enough to secure well-paid jobs.