Coping and adaptation mechanisms employed by sub-Saharan African migrant women in South Africa

Abstract

This article assesses the socio-economic coping and adaptation mechanisms employed by sub-Saharan African migrant women in South Africa using a survey and multi-attribute contingent ratings. The socio-economic and adaptation mechanisms were identified using a sustainable livelihood framework, which included political and cultural capital. This study focused on the rarely investigated South-South migration flows. The results found that the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of migrant women played a significant role in the coping and adaptation mechanisms they employed. Human capital ranked the highest, followed by physical, cultural, social, economic and political capitals. This implies that the livelihood capital has an implication: the migrant women need to have education and health services to survive in day-to-day activities of their life as human capital. They need also to sustain economically at least to cover house rent, food, communicate with family and assist the family as economic and physical capitals. Furthermore, they need to adapt, respect and live with the culture of the host nation in harmony and conducive environment as social, cultural and political capitals.

Migration at Work

“…Emerging from the data, in the midst of various challenges facing the heterogeneity group of women from different parts of sub-Saharan Africa, women possessed entrepreneurial skills that most of them were using to sustain their livelihoods. Migrant women from Mozambique, Angola and Lesotho were observed to be residing in the high-density suburbs in South Africa, usually termed black residential areas, where they had their own small businesses or were working in groups in hairdressing businesses (Ncube, 2017). Ethiopians, Somalis and Eritrean migrant women were observed to be mostly wives of wealthy businessmen from the same countries.…”

“…This also applies in South Africa. They have no choice but to deskill themselves as a coping and adaptation mechanism (Ncube, 2017). The difficulty of finding employment is highlighted in the extract below:…”

Migration at Work

“…-Men and women migrate independently -Migrants can be family accompanied -Migrants have become permanent residents thanks to the post-apartheid policies -Migrants are offered permanent jobs because of their skills (Adepoju, 2006) In the 1980s very little was done to raise the barometer on women's migration except to emphasise the privileges women enjoyed as accompanying spouses; these allowed women to break away from the traditional gender roles in host countries (Ncube, 2017). This brings to the fore the misconception about the gender paradigm that highlights sexual differences and the societal expectations of men to be breadwinners (Haferkamp & Smelser, 1992).…”

“…Some women will migrate to escape abusive marriages, domestic violence and desire for equal opportunities with men (Dako-Gyeke, 2013). Socio-economic inequalities in home countries, such as discernment against particular groups of women like single mothers, single women and widows, lead women to migrate to new locations to start a new life without the usual community judging them based on their gender identities (Caritas Internationalis, 2004;Ncube, 2017). The other notable dynamic that has led woman to migrate is the issue of genital mutilation that is still actively practised in some countries.…”

“…Levels of resilience in migration contexts vary from woman to woman due to their demographic, socio-economic characteristics, as well as their short-and long-term aspirations (Ncube, 2017;Mkwananzi, 2019). The adversity factors due to the gendered nature of migration can also be taken as a disempowering experience, which can result in a particular physical or social vulnerability for individual migrant women.…”