Abstract
The sociological enquiry of the health risks and vulnerabilities of Zimbabwean women informal cross-border traders remains an understudied dimension of cross-border trade studies in Zimbabwe. This research study explored the nexus of migration, informal cross-border trade and information and communication technology in the context of the health risks and vulnerabilities of Zimbabwean women informal cross-border traders navigating the borders to Kariakoo Market in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The research was motivated by the escalation of informal cross-border trading activities and the influx of women in the face of socio-economic turbulence in Zimbabwe. The study demonstrated a shift in gender roles as more women traders take up the ‘breadwinners’ role. The study has drawn from African feminisms’ conceptual ideas of how African women respond to shifting conditions and develop innovative ways of creating livelihoods through informal cross-border trading in times of economic uncertainty. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between February 2018 to January 2019, the lived stories of 21 participants were captured and analysed. The women’s narratives revealed that among the reasons for engaging in informal cross-border trade is failure to secure formal employment and loss of formal employment. This led to a decline in status and living conditions, which are consistent with other studies on informal cross-border trade. Thus, the findings were consistent with the Feminist Political Economy Approach, which states that the health of an economy is judged by its success or failure to provide adequate, sustainable livelihoods for its citizens. As they traversed the borders in the various stages of the migration cycle, the women were exposed to death, sexual harassment, insomnia, poor and inadequate sanitation, swollen and painful feet, poor nutrition, communicable diseases and language barriers. The research showed that despite these health risks and vulnerabilities the women encountered during their migratory journeys, they displayed agency in the way they handled and countered the different challenges they faced. The research further shows how women devised innovative coping strategies to mitigate health risks and vulnerabilities. An interesting finding was their use of the WhatsApp mobile application to communicate with family, assist their children with homework using the call and video features of the application, market and advertise their goods and connect with stakeholders, including communicating with their ‘helpers’ at the different ports of entry. Women also used bribery, lamentation and wearing multiple layers of purchased clothing to evade excessive duties as survival tools at Customs dubbed the manyoka (diarrhoea) station. In conclusion, this research study noted that the health risks and vulnerabilities experienced by women informal cross-border traders did not deter them from crossing borders in search of livelihoods for their families. This research study established new knowledge claims on women’s health at work in Southern Africa as their audible voices came out clearly through a feminist theoretical engagement. Keywords: health risks, migration, women informal cross-border traders, vulnerabilities, ICT, Zimbabwe.
D.Litt. et Phil. (Sociology)