Migration, transnationalisme et reproduction sociale

Circular labour migration between Senegal and Europe has taken off during the 1990s and has mostly concerned men. If women are also part of this movement, they are often hidden behind the family reunification process. However, many of them hope to find a job and reinforce their social status in their community of origin by migrating whether they leave on their own or through reunification. What happens with these women ? Do they reproduce the same patterns as their male peers by remaining in a long lasting circular migration or do they follow other paths? What are the factors influencing their intentions to come back to Senegal on a permanent basis? In a qualitative study conducted in a small town North-West of the country in 2012-2013 among 21 migrant women to Italy and Spain we examine their projects and desires regarding their future. Their marital, reproductive situation as well as their relations within the enlarged family strongly influence their decision to come back or not to Senegal. Their discourses highlight their ambivalence between the need to respect fundamental Wolof social norms and values related to women’s status and their attempts to make their own way.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

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