The disillusionment of fantasies: Senegalese women in Spain

Abstract

Since the 90's, Spain has become a destination for migrants from Senegal. The economic boom that Spain experienced at that time was the main pull factor of Senegalese who have settled in towns and villages and Spanish and have invested in sectors such as street trading, the agriculture. If the migration of Senegalese in Spain has long been dominated by men, for several years, many women into exile in search of better job opportunities but also in response to a request for female labor in the Spanish public authorities. They have implemented programs to recruit workers directly from Senegal in response to illegal migration from the "canoes" that produced many dramas.

Spanish demand for foreign female workers, has allowed some Senegalese women who are often confined in unglamorous sectors that keep them in a situation of exclusion, even if some of these immigrants are relatively skilled.

Senegalese migrants seem to have found in the Spanish regions employability sectors (agriculture, catering, hairdressing, elder care, child care, etc.). A kind of extension of their domestic activities.

From interviews and quantitative data collected in several localities in Spain we are trying in a sociological and anthropological or as part of Senegalese migrants between fantasies and illusions.

The interest of this communication is to share methodological maneuvers introduced during our investigations to understand the constraints faced by Senegalese women in Spain.

Dr. Aly Tandian

GERM Facts & Societies

Gaston Berger University of Saint-Louis, Senegal.

Aly.Tandian@remove-this.ugb.edu.sn

www.germ.sn

Dr. Aly Tandian is a sociologist, professor at the Departement of Sociology (Gaston Berger University, Senegal). After a PhD at the University of Toulouse 2 - Mirail (UTM, France), he did posdocorales researches at the Center for Anthropology (EHESS-CNRS, Toulouse) and CEDEM (University of Liege, Belgium). He is the coordinator of the Study Group for Research on Migration (GERM) of the University Gaston Berger.

Relevant publications:

• Tandian, A. & Tall, S.M. (2011) "Cadre général de la migration internationale sénégalaise : historicité, actualité et prospective". CARIM Analytic and Synthetic Notes; 2011/54; Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Migration: Recent Developments Series.
• Tandian, A. Tall, S.M. (2011) "Migration circulaire des Sénégalais : Des migrations tacites aux recrutements organisés". CARIM Analytic and Synthetic Notes; 2011/52; Circular Migration Series.
• Tandian, A. (2010) "Las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en el transnacionalismo político de los senegaleses de Italia, España y Estados Unidos", Relaciones Internacionales, núm. 14, junio, pp. 75-92.
• Tandian, A. (2010) "ICTs in Senegal: between migration culture and socio-cultural and politico-economic positioning" in Fernández-Ardèvol, M., Ros, A. (eds.), Communication Technologies in Latin America and Africa: A multidisciplinary perspective, Barcelona, IN3, pp. 273-292.

See for more information:

For more information Annet van Geen or Roy Huijsmans