Gendered perceptions of migration among skilled female Ghanaian nurses

Abstract

Within current research on African health worker emigration, relatively few studies have explored how health workers themselves see international migration and its impact on their lives, and how gender norms influence these perceptions. This article draws on research aiming to examine these issues, conducted between June and August 2008. Ghanaian nurses’ views of migration are highly influenced by gendered notions of women prioritising family responsibilities over personal desires. However, these ideas are being called into question by the growing numbers of women who may consider migrating as skilled professionals, and attach considerable importance to their professional interests.

Keywords:

• gender
• skilled migration
• nursing sector
• emigration
• Ghana

Notes

1. It should be noted that several participants had multiple (and at times conflicting) responses. At times their responses suggested a more traditional perception of the relationship between migration and gender, while at other times their responses seemed less traditional. Nevertheless, for the purposes of this paper their responses were classified into three general categories. Future research could examine how gender norms related to migration may be changing in certain spheres (i.e. career), while remaining relatively stable in others (i.e. family life).

2. There have been exceptions to this focus on low-skilled female workers in the literature, most notably in terms of studies on Filipina nurses, as well as highly educated female engineers and graduates from South Asia (Aminuzamman 2007; Dumont et al. 2007; Purkayastha 2005).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanne Nowak

Joanne Nowak is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Toronto. Her research interests include the intersection between international migration and development, gender and migration issues, (im)migration policy, migrant rights, and the politics of migration