Gender Equality in Family-Related Attitudes and Behaviors among Muslim Migrants in Italy

The chapter aims to observe gender equality in family-related attitudes and behaviours among Muslim first-generation migrants aged 18-64 years old at interview and residing in Italy. We use data coming from the multipurpose “Social Condition and Integration of Foreign citizens survey” conducted in 2011-2012, estimate a synthetic index of gender equality, and perform regression models. Results show that migrants coming from Albania and former Yugoslavia have the highest gender equality attitudes among Muslims in Italy, while those coming from Egypt, Pakistan and Bangladesh have the highest gender disparity attitudes. The years since migration and the acquisition of Italian citizenship depict the acculturation process in the destination country which favor gender equality attitudes. Conversely, the more religious people are the more they are opposed to gender equality in family-related attitudes. However, the gradient of religious communal integration on this issue is more strongly significant than that of subjective religiosity.