Causes, Problems And Survival Strategies Of Selected Rural-Urban Fematje Migrants In Dessie Town
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Date
2010-06
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Publisher
AAU
Abstract
Dessie town is known Jor a long tim e Jor its destination (II rural migrants as it is
important comme rcial and geographical centre. This study ainl S at exploring
factors for ru ral f emale migration, problems thE.·y face a/l.() t he i I' s u Ivival strategies
to Dessie town. Th e study contributes to the unden;tUl/(}iIlY of th e cau ses that
push f emale migrants to urban centre and problems they fa ce alld survival
strategies at destination.
To acqU/ re the nccess(I ry information, a range of data gathering too!::; such as
purposive sampling methods, interview and in· depth inte rview, obserua lion, focus
group discussion and document re view had been u sed .
Female migration to Dessie town is mainly relateo. to to: onomic, social, and
cultural, factors that exist in rural and urban settings. The surrounding r..iral area
of Dessie town is highly populated and aJfected by ecologica l disC/ s s uch (I S
drought and irregular precipitation which results in p ove rty and famin e. Absence
of owne rs hip of property, Family disintegration, intole rC/hl, ? culturalproctices s uch
as divorce and s ocial isolation to divorced and late married Jemales, ea rly
marriage, wife inhe rilunce, family d ecision to marriu(7es, anci nlrai gender
inequality, caused dijJiculties the life of rural f emnles. Besidcs, better social
facilities, job opportunity, and s ocial network, family p e rception towards
migration and proximity attract the rural f emale to the town.
At the time of arrival Clnd the course of their stay, f cmale migrants C' nCOlll1t er
problems like unemployment and unde remployme nt, urban pove rty, lack of basic
needs and social services, prejudice and dis crimination, physica l and sex'Ual
exploitation, vulnerability to HIV/ AIDS and other trans mitted diseas es, Thu s, to
cope up with s uch problems, they employ uarious strategies: active survival
strategies (partl:cipating in various jobs and job mobility, searching additional
income), passive survival strategies (consuming low prices food, wearinq s econd
hand clothes and sharing food and housing, w;ing alte rnative traditional
medicines) and social network as a s urvival strateqies (rural linkage, sharing
lives with male partne r, seeking aid, voluntary associCltiulI LInd cooperation).