Gender, religion, and migration: a study of Malawian Chewa and Yawo Muslim women in Durban, 1994-2017=Ubulili, Ezenkolo kanye Nokufuduka: Ucwaningo ngabesifazane abangamaSulumani baseMalawi abangamaChewa kanye namaYawo eThekwini 1994 kuya 2017.

Abstract

People move inside and between states as part of globalisation in the twenty-first century, looking for jobs, a family, and an education, fleeing violence, persecution, terrorism, and human rights violations, and coping with climate change, economic hardship, and natural disasters.1 This increased global migration has been a significant milestone in South Africa's post-apartheid transition. The opening of borders has led to an increase in women migrating across Africa, changing historically male-dominated immigration patterns. Muslim women now account for a fraction of the global migration flux. However, few studies have focused on Malawian women's migration experiences, highlighting the need for more research on women in post-apartheid South Africa. This study focuses on Malawian immigrants in post-apartheid South Africa, specifically Chewa and Yawo women. It examines their migration reasons, challenges, and assimilation of Muslim identities. The study highlights opportunities, socio-economic, and cultural obstacles faced by these women, providing a nuanced gendered history. Participants were chosen using snowball and purposive sampling. The study utilised gender, social history, oral history, and transnationalism theory to investigate thirty women's lived experiences and migration patterns. It found that gender dynamics significantly impact migration patterns and experiences in host societies. Women from Chewa and Yawo tribes were found to be more prone to abuse and exploitation than men. International migration often leads to social isolation and abusive relationships for women, highlighting power imbalances. Male immigrants earn higher wages than females, while female migrants send more money home. Chewa and Yawo Muslim women can use their strength to flee and show agency in their host country, potentially causing envy among conventional hosts. This usually leads to xenophobic attacks on foreigners. Hence, the study explores women's agency in migration, highlighting their struggles and aiming to shape their lives. It contributes to the historiography of migration in Africa and South Africa, and the scholarship on the "feminisation of migration." It is also a study about resilience, Africa in Islam, longitudinal experiences of communities, Pan-Africanist worlds, the persistence of memories, and the fluidity of culture, the regional history of Durban and first-generation migrants and labour practices. This dissertation is a trans-disciplinary study with history as the fulcrum. This study is crucial for understanding gender, memory, and African oral history, particularly for women immigrants. It highlights women's active participation in migration, coping strategies, and absorption into host societies. This dissertation covers essential aspects of post-Apartheid South Africa's immigration history.

Iqoqa Abantu baphansi phezulu behla benyuka phakathi kwamazwe njengendlela kaqoqazwe ekhulwini leminyaka namashumi amabili nanye, bethungatha imisebenzi, imindeni kanye nemfundo, bebalekela udlame, ukunqunywa, ubunqolobi kanye nokunyathelwa kwamalungelo, ukushintsha kwesimo sezulu, ubunzima bezomnotho kanye nezinhlekelele zemvelo. Ukwanda kokufuduka ngobuqoqazwe kube yigxathu elibalulekile eNingizimu Afrikha emuva koguquko kwahamba ingcindezelo. Ukuvulwa kwemingcele kuholele ekwandeni kofuduko kwabantu besifazane a-Afrikha yonkana, kwashintsha umlando wofuduko obugcwele amadoda. Abesifazane bamaSulumane nabo bayabalwa kuqoqazwe wokufuduka. Nokho, izifundo ezimbalwa esezenziwe zigxile kubafazi baseMalawi mayela nesendlalelo sokufuduka, kugqamisa isidingo solunye ucwaningo ngabantu besifazane emva kwegcindezelo eNingizimu Afrikha.

Impokophelo yalesisifundo imayelana nofuduko lwabaseMalawi emuva kwengcidezelo eNingizimu Afrikha ikakhulukazi abafazi bamaChewa nabamaYawo. Ihlola izizathu zokufuduka, izinselelo kanye nokulutha ubuzwe. Lesi sifundo siqhakambisa amathuba, ezomnotho kanye nemigoqwano yamasiko abhekene nabesifazane, kunikezwa izincazelo ezahlukene ngomlando wobulili. Ababamba iqhaza bakhethwa ngokuba kusetshenziswe isampula ye-snowball kanye nesampula ehlosiwe. Ucwaningo lwasebenzisa ubulili, umlando ngokwenhlalo, umlando ngobuciko bomlomo kanye nenjulalwazi ye-transnationlism ukuphenya izendlalelo zabantu besifazane abanga-30 kanye nokhondolo lokufuduka. Ithole ukuthi ubulili ngokwehlukana kuba nesisindo ngokubalulekile okhondolweni lokufuduka kanye nesendlalelo emiphakathini esingethe.

Abesifazana ohlangeni lwamaChewa kanye namaYawo kwatholakala ukuhlukumezeka okuningi kanye nokuxhashazwa kunamadoda. Ufuduko ngokwezizwe luvamise ukuholela ezimweni zenhlalo ezikhishwa inyumbazana kanye nobudlelwane obunodlame kubantu besifazane, obugqamisa ukungalingani kwamandla. Abesilisa abazifiki baholelwa kangcono kunabesifazane, ngalowomzuzu abesifazane abangabafuduki bathumela imali eningi emakhaya. Ababesifazane abangamalungu enkolo yamaSulumani bangawasebenzisa amandla abo ukubaleka ukuze batshengise inhlangano esingethe kulelozwe, lokhu kunamathuba okudala ukungaphathi kwabasingethe. Lokhu kuholela esimweni sodlame ngokuhlasela abahambi. Ucwaningo luhlola izinhlangano zabesifazana zokufuduka, ezigqamisa owazo umzabalazo ohlose ukulolonga izimpilo zabo. Ifaka isandla kumlando wokufuduka kwabantu e-Afrikha naseNingizimu Afrikha, kanye nomfundaze "wokufuduka kwabantu besifazane."

Kubuye kube isifundo ngokuzimisela, i-Afrikha kumaSulumani, isendlalelo eside ngemiphakathi, egxile kubu-Afrikha emhlabeni, izinkumbulo eziqhubekayo kanye nokuthamba kwamasiko, umlando wesifunda saseThekwini kanye nesizukulwane sokuqala sabafuduki nokukwenziwa okuthinta abasebenzi. Lolu cwaningo luyisifundo esinemixhantela olusekelwe umlando. Lolucwaningo lubalulekile ukuqonda ubulili, inkumbulo kanye nomlando wase-Afrikha ngomlomo, ikakhulukazi abesifazane abangabafuduki. Kugqamisa ukubamba iqhaza kwabesifazane odabeni lokufuduka, baqhamuke namaqhinga kanye nokugwinywa imiphakathi ebasingethe. Lomqulu ufaka izingxenye ezibalulekile ngomlando waseNingizimu Afrikha ngokufuduka emva kwengcindezelo.