Marcia,

Though the husband would most commonly come over first and then bring over wife and children, it would seem to be an earning capability thing more than a male/female thing.  (At least two of my g-grandmothers came to Philadelphia from the old country, but they were widowed and their passage was paid by other relatives.).

If the wife had better prospects than the husband for earning money, then, all else being equal, it would make sense for the wife to go over first.   Situations where the wife would have better expected success in earning money would include (but not be limited to) husband has a disability, husband is incarcerated, husband is preoccupied with other matters (including military service), et cetera.

-- KHR
--
Ken Ryesky,  Petach Tikva, Israel     kenneth.ryesky@... 

Researching:
RAISKY/REISKY, ARONOV, SHKOLNIK(OV), AEROV; Gomel, Belarus
GERTZIG, BRODSKY; Yelizavetgrad, Ukraine
BRODSKY, VASILESKY; Odessa, Ukraine
IZRAELSON, ARSHENOV; Yevpatoriya, Ukraine (Crimea)