Probing the context of vulnerability: Zimbabwean migrant women’s experiences of accessing public health care in South Africa
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Human Mobility Review (AHMR)
Abstract
South Africa has a professed inclusive health policy that articulates that everyone is
entitled to have access to healthcare services, regardless of nationality and citizenship.
However, several challenges exist for migrant women in South Africa, in accessing
this health care. This paper, based on the experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women
residing in Durban, focuses on their experiences of seeking and accessing health-care
services in South Africa. Using a qualitative study design, semi-structured interviews
were conducted with 22 purposively sampled female participants aged 25–49 years.
This paper employs a structural-violence analysis to probe the underlying factors that
make it challenging for Zimbabwean migrant women to access public health-care
services in South Africa. The findings of this paper highlight that the lack of valid
immigration documentation, often makes it challenging for participants to access
services from public hospitals and clinics. The findings also reveal that the state of the
South African public healthcare system predisposes migrant women to health risks.
Description
Keywords
Gender, Migration, Access to healthcare, Violence, South Africa, Migration, Women, Immigration, Qualitative research, Semi-structured interviews, Public hospital, Public healthcare, Public health facilities
Citation
Lawack, V., Mutambara, VM., Mulu, NNT., et al. (2021) "Probing the context of vulnerability: Zimbabwean migrant women’s experiences of access", in AHMR African Human Mobilty Review - Vol. 7 (No. 1), JAN-APR 2021.