Gender and geography in Africa : developments, challenges and trajectories for the future

This paper provides an overview of current developments in the study of women and gender studies in general and in geography in particular in Africa. It begins by locating gender and women's studies in the context of international women's movements and examines the context of gender and women's studies in Africa. It also traces how gender has evolved and transformed in geography over the decades in sub Saharan Africa and outlines challenges and potential trajectories for future direction on gender and geography in Africa.Aquest article ofereix una visió àmplia de la situació actual dels estudis de les dones i de gènere, en general, i en geografia, en particular, a l'Àfrica. S'inicia amb la localització d'aquests estudis en el context dels moviments femenins internacionals i s'examina quin és el seu marc a l'Àfrica. Tanmateix, s'hi explica com el gènere s'ha desenvolupat i s'ha transformat dins la geografia al llarg de les darreres dècades a l'Àfrica sub-sahariana, i s'hi subratllen els reptes i les trajectòries potencials de cara al futur de la geografia i el gènere en aquest continent.Este artículo ofrece una visión amplia de la situación actual de los estudios de las mujeres y de género, en general, y en geografía, en particular, en África. Se inicia con la localización de estos estudios en el contexto de los movimientos internacionales de mujeres y se examina cuál es su marco de referencia en África. Asimismo, se explica cómo el género se ha desarrollado y transformado en la geografía a lo largo de las últimas décadas en el África sub-sahariana y se subrayan los retos y las trayectorias potenciales de cara al futuro de la geografía y el género en este continente

Challenging contexts : Gender studies and geography in Anglophone African countries

Gender equity has been acknowledged as critical to the equitable and sustainable development of Anglophone Africa, with much work at various levels in the region since the early 1990s. In higher education, this has included the introduction of courses on women and gender, an increase in studies on gender and place, and networking among feminist scholars and activists. While geographers have made significant contributions to the discourse, these have not translated into the mainstreaming of gender into sub-areas in the discipline nor to an examination of how gendered attributes are socially constructed or to the nature of space-time variations in femininity and masculinity. This paper provides an overview of recent developments in Anglophone African countries in the study of women and of gender studies in general. It offers case studies of work in geography within Ghana and South Africa. In so doing, it locates gender and women’s studies in relation to international women’s movements and African contexts. It also traces how gender studies have evolved and outlines challenges and potential trajectories for future directions.Het is bekend dat gelijkheid tussen de seksen cruciaal is voor een rechtvaardige en duurzame ontwikkeling in Angelsaksisch Afrika, waaraan sinds de vroege jaren negentig op verschillende niveaus binnen de regio is gewerkt. In het hoger onderwijs betrof dit de introductie van cursussen op het terrein van vrouwen en gender, een toename in het aantal onderzoeken op het gebied van gender en plaats, en het netwerken tussen feministisch researchers en militanten. Hoewel geografen een belangrijke bijdrage hebben geleverd aan het ontwikkelingsdiscours, heeft deze bijdrage zich niet vertaald in een erkenning van het belang van gender in de verschillende subdisciplines binnen de geografie. Er is geen aandacht voor de vraag op welke wijze de gender attributen van het ontwikkelingsproces sociale constructies vormen ; evenmin is er aandacht voor verschillen in tijd en ruimte in vrouwelijkheid en mannelijkheid. Dit artikel geeft een overzicht van de recente ontwikkelingen in Angelsaksisch Afrika in het gender onderzoek in het algemeen, en in het bijzonder een aantal case-studies over geografie in Ghana en Zuid-Afrika. Op deze wijze exploreert het de relatie tussen gender onderzoek en de internationale vrouwenbeweging en plaatst het in de context van Afrika. Het laat bovendien zien hoe in de afgelopen decennia gender binnen de geografie is geëvolueerd en getransformeerd en schetst uitdagingen en potenties voor de toekomst

Connection men, pushers and migrant trajectories: examining the dynamics of the migration industry in Ghana and along routes into Europe and the Gulf States

This paper examines the inner workings and operational logic of the array of individuals, agencies, state and non-state actors, institutions and social networks that collectively make up the migration industry in Ghana. It sheds light on how actors in the migration industry facilitate and condition migrant mobility, focusing on workers moving from Ghana along two migration corridors towards Europe and the Gulf States for work in the domestic and construction sectors. The study draws on a broad and nuanced conceptualisation of the “migration industry” which goes beyond a narrow focus on actors operating mainly for financial gain. Instead, it focuses on migration not just as a movement from point of departure to arrival, but as a changing journey over both space and time. This allows not only empirical insights into the processes through which people move, but it also provides an analytical lens to better unpack the complexities of migration processes. We extend the analysis of migration industries by incorporating risk theory into the analysis of the migration decision. The decision takes place in a context where migrants’ high level of knowledge about the dangers of migration has not translated into a reduction in migration flows on these two corridors. We analyse migrants’ rationale for choosing to embark on highly risky journeys, even in the face of increasing knowledge about these risks, and to develop appropriate policy responses

Victims of trafficking and modern slavery or agents of change? Migrants, brokers, and the state in Ghana and Myanmar

The authors provide critical insights into the creation of precarious and unfree labour in Ghana and Myanmar by examining the inner workings of the migration industry and the roles of brokers, the state and employers in positioning migrants in exploitative work in Libya, The Middle East, Singapore and Thailand. The evidence is based on in-depth interviews with returned and current migrant construction workers and domestic workers, formal and informal brokers, transport providers and other stakeholders. The research shows that brokerage is culturally embedded in local systems of reciprocity and closely depends on the collusion and cooptation of state actors. The research suggests that rather than viewing migrants and those who mediate migration in opposition and the state as a benevolent facilitator, they should be analysed as co-constituting systems of brokerage, irregular migration and exploitative work. The findings highlight the need for states to take greater responsibility in managing their own involvement in creating modern slavery. At the same time, the findings highlight the ways in which migrants use brokerage to exercise agency by taking advantage of irregular migration routes and informal employment