Women and Migration-Challenges and Constraints – A South African Perspective

Abstract

Female migration over the decades has become a common feature in most regions. Many women face many challenges in their new environment in terms of assimilation and accommodation. This paper documents the narratives of immigrant women who have been victims of domestic violence and explores how immigration related factors such as xenophobia, language, unemployment and lack of familial support hinder their attempts to seek help thus making settlement and assimilation in the new environment particularly challenging. Many are imprisoned in marriages and relationships of domestic abuse. This paper locates the argument in the context of intersectionality, that race, class, ethnicity, religion and gender are important categories of analysis to understand the complexities women’s immigration challenges. Findings of this paper will contribute to new knowledge in the context of gender and migration amongst immigrant groups in South Africa.