The impact of male labour migration on women in Botswana
Brown, B.B.
African Affairs 82(328): 367-388
1983
ISSN/ISBN: 0001-9909 DOI: 10.2307/722071Document Number: 413404
With its long history and high rate of labour migration, Botswana is presented as a valuable case study of the impact of migration on women. The outmigration of a large proportion of the adult population has altered economic and social relations. Subsistence agriculture, once the basis of the economy, has been largely replaced by working for wages. Household income now derives in large part from the activities of individuals who work away from the family and are paid wages on an individual basis. The paper reports on an intensive study of migrancy in Kgatleng district in southeastern Botswana carried out in 1978. The study included the collection of detailed demographic, economic and social data from a sample of 210 households. The impact of migration on the lives of women has been profound. The first section shows that marriage and family relations have shifted significantly, placing women in a more isolated position. The following section demonstrates the effect on women of changes in production activities. Together, these factors have led to major changes in women's social and economic situation. Drawing on the experience of women in Botswana, the concluding section addresses the issue of female dependence.