Feminised poverty and gendered livelihoods : an exploration of Zimbabwean Migrants’ experiences in Yeoville, Johannesburg

Abstract : Feminisation of poverty is the belief that the severity of poverty is more intense on women than it is on men. The causes of feminised poverty include the social norms, low education levels, unpaid labour, and how women are positioned in the labour market. Women have therefore over the years migrated on their own in search of better livelihoods in an endeavour to escape different forms of feminised poverty. However, in the process of migrating to and settling in the destination countries, migrant women may experience the effects of migration either positively or negatively. The migrant women‘s experiences are more often than not precarious. Using feminist theories and theories of migration, this study sought to uncover the gendered challenges that migrant women face specifically focusing on the Zimbabweans who reside in Yeoville, a suburb in Johannesburg, South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 women and African Diaspora Forum officials. The main findings of this study revealed that despite the socio-economic challenges these women faced, they often exercised agency in order to overcome poverty. Migrant women from Zimbabwe, in contrast to the general perception of women as helpless beings that are despondent, put in place different gendered livelihoods strategies to deal with challenges they faced in South Africa. These strategies included sharing space as far as accommodation is concerned, taking any kind of job so as to get by, and doing multiple jobs; to mention but a few. This study was vital in the unveiling of the migrant women‘s livelihood experiences as well as their survival strategies in Johannesburg, South Africa.M.A. (Anthropology and Development Studies