Adolescent Migration in Rural Africa as a Challenge to Gender and Intergenerational Relationships. Evidence from Mali.
Résumé
Labor migration has become common for adolescents in many African populations, where it is a key event in the transition into adulthood for both genders. This article examines the experiences of, expectations of, and perceptions about adolescent migration from different perspectives, taking into account their gender and generation. It is based on qualitative data, collected from a rural population in Mali, where labor migration is experienced by most adolescents (70–90 percent). Despite a convergence of migratory practices between genders, the subjective experience and the social construction around youth migration appear to be in contrast for girls and boys. Male migration is part of family economics, and adolescent boys use migration to strengthen their family status. Female migration is a personal project and includes strong expectations about learning and obtaining life skills. Social judgment of female migration is negative, but new lines of solidarity are emerging between female generations.