Différence de genre et rôles des réseaux migratoires dans la mobilité internationale des Congolais (RDC) : étude des tendances, des déterminants et des conséquences de la migration
(2012)
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- (en) Women currently account for nearly half of international migrants in the world, but female migration is almost exclusively analyzed from Asia and Latin America. However, data on migrants indicate that African women travel as well, both within the continent and to Western countries. But under which conditions do these female migrations take place? Do they mostly fit in the logic of family reunification or instead do they contribute to the phenomenon of empowerment described in other contexts? This first research question guided our analysis of migrations from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The objective was to evaluate whether we are witnessing a feminization of Congolese migration, and whether this could be explained by the emergence of more autonomous patterns of female mobility. Even though the analysis of trends in migration rates reveals no genuine Congolese feminization of migration, several results suggest that a convergence of migration experiences of men and women is at work when directed to Western countries, while differences between men and women remain more important in regard to intra-African migrations. Also salient is an increase in female migrations spurred by economical motives and a decrease in female migrations associated with the mobility of the spouse. This is accompanied by a distinct increase in the mobility associated with the network of migrants. A second research question is then addressed: are networks more likely to promote or, conversely, to discourage the autonomous nature of female migration? The results indicate that through social and family networks, migrations can transform gender relations, both towards a reduction of gender inequalities (when the network turns out to be more supportive of women at the departure or at destination), or the other way around, in enhancing or maintaining gender inequalities (when the network appears to be more restrictive for women, in particular when taking decisions to migrate or when restraining the professional mobility). Ultimately, if certain conclusions lead to believe that empowerment of Congolese women's migration is at work, in particular to Western countries, others elements emphasize the need to adopt a moderate stance on this topic.
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Vause, S. (2012). Différence de genre et rôles des réseaux migratoires dans la mobilité internationale des Congolais (RDC) : étude des tendances, des déterminants et des conséquences de la migration. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/163039