Survival Strategies of Female In-Migrant in Gimbi Town, Oromia Region
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Date
2009
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In urban Ethiopia, number of female migrants has been growing with time. Economic and
social factors are major reasons for females' migrations in the country. Intention of females '
migrations is basically related to improving standard of life. However, unemployment, under
waged employment and unsustainable livelihood strategies are common problems for
significant proportion of female in-migrants in most urban centers of Ethiopia. As a result,
many female in-migrants lead their lives in worst situations and struggle with poverty that
worsens their lives. In view of this problem, the main objective of this study was to
investigate survival strategies of female in-migrants in Gimbi town.
By using questionnaire, FGDs and interviews data were collected from 380 female inmigrants
randomly selected. Then, analyses of the study were done using descriptive and
binary logistic regression stati stical tools as well as qualitative techniques. The finding of the
study reveals that economic factors (searching for jobs and transfer) and social fac tors (search
for education, family formation and finding relatives/fri ends) are basic causes for you ng,
economically active and rural origin females' in-migrations to Gimbi town. Moreover, the
result of the study indicates that active strategy, passive strategy and social network are the
basic survival strategies female in-migrants often adopt to lead their lives in the town. These
strategies are regularly reali zed by accepting avai lable job, reducing food intake, using
secondhand cloth, renting housing unit with low cost, selling household properties,
borrowing, receiving aids and sharing expenses.
The result of binary logistic regression analysis shows that the probability of female inmigrants
to accept available job as a survival strategy varies due to socio-economic and
demographic factors. Accordi ngly, problems of economic status are recurrent among yo ung,
rural origin, head, single, with dependent children, large family size, recent and illiterate
female in-migrants in Gimbi town. Simil arly, in the study town, female in-migrants could not
earn income from their livelihood strategies are regularly overwhelmed by these problems.
Because, female in-migrants among all the aforementioned categories had higher likelihoods
to accept available job as a means of survival strategy compared with their respective
categories. However, accepting ava ilable job as a survival strategy is not influenced by ethnic
background and religion of female in-migrants in the study town.
On the other hand, the outcome of this study also indicates that unemployment and
underemployment resulted from seasonality of work and low level of earning are the basic
economic challenges for many fem ale in-migrants in Gimbi town. Hence, as fea sible
recommendations the fo llowings were stated. Reinfo rcing affirmative actions, strengthening
the implementations of constitutional rights given to women, providing free family planning
services, supporting insti tutions working on improving life of poor female in-migrants,
faci litating situations in whi ch female in-migrants get training on awareness creation,
accentuating stabili zation of the current market inflations, and developing technical training
centers that could assist fema le in-m igrants with low educational status.
Key words: Female In -mi grant, Survival Strategies, Active Strategy, Passive
Strategy and Social Network
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Keywords
Female In -mi grant, Survival Strategies, Active Strategy, Passive Strategy and Social Network