ABSTRACT
Migration in Southern Africa has been characterised by high internal and cross-border population movement. However, patterns, motives and consequences of migration and mobility are highly gendered, with political, economic and social structures differentially impacting on women and men’s decisions around and experiences of migration. Despite a long history of migration and mobility of women in the Southern African region, and the growing feminisation of migration, there remain gaps in research and policy on gender and migration, particularly with respect to migration and its impacts. With illustrations from two case studies based on primary research in Zimbabwe and South Africa, this chapter uses a gender lens to analyse migration in Southern Africa in order to better understand how and why women migrants and refugees are vulnerable to violence and various forms of human rights violations and why they may have difficulties in accessing health care.
