The Gender Implications of the Immigration Regulations of South Africa on “career wives” : An African Feminist Perspective

Abstract

The search by South Africa for scarce skills that contribute to the economic development of the country attracted many people around the world, particularly Africa to migrate to this country for economic purposes. Among those who respond to the call for scarce skills are married men who migrate with their wives who do not qualify to apply for a scarce skills visa. This non empirical qualitative study analyses how the South African immigration regulations affects wives of migrants particularly career-wives who choose to join their husbands during migration. The broader principles of African feminism are used to analyse the gender implications of the South African immigration to career-wives who accompany their husbands on migration. Findings of this study indicate that the South African immigration policy is gender biased and overlooks the legacies of colonialism that encouraged boys to study Science and Mathematics and girls to study Arts subjects. In addition the study reveals that the South African immigration policy does not align itself with the international, regional and national instruments that promote and protect gender equality despite being signatory.