Attention has focused on the demographic process underlying the urban transition in the Third World, but disproportionately on the economic costs and opportunities for men. Female labor force participation in turn relates to more balanced sex ratios in urban areas. Women migrate to the city in part in response to their own economic opportunities there. Other factors contributing to more balanced sex ratios include smaller city size, a smaller proportion of migrants in the male population, and location in the South. More balanced sex ratios in the cities may improve the quality of urban life and offer women the benefits of urban advantages in literacy and life expectancy.
URL : 20140328111355.pdf