Gendered migrant social and human capital: an investigation into informally employed Zimbabwean migrant women in Botswana

Canisio Mutsindikwa, Botswana Training Authority

This paper shall seek to investigate the role played by social capital in the migration of informally employed Zimbabwean women to Botswana and the consequent human capital dynamics involved. The types of social capital (bonding, bridging and linking) used by the women shall be explored. This study shall assume that although the usual push-pull macro factors may be obviously operational there may be underlying social forces at the meso-level facilitating their migration and adaptation in Botswana. The study (research) design shall be exploratory using mainly the qualitative approach. The main tools to be used shall be the structured questionnaire and the in-depth interview. The impact of the movement of the migrant women within the context of social capital, both to Botswana and Zimbabwe, shall be explored. Lastly the policy implications of the study shall be assessed. Key words: Migration, social capital, human capital, bonding, bridging, linking, informally employed, adaptation.