Interpreting refugee women’s life stories: towards a human capabilities framework for social work with cross-border migrants

Abstract

This article narrates the struggle of two female refugees for a dignified life in South Africa. It is based on their life stories and a personal diary compiled as part of an ethnographic study conducted between 2008 and 2009. The data were interpreted using the Human Capabilities Approach as an ethical frame of reference. We found that at the intersection of cross-border migration and gender inequality, both women suffered grave hurt and disadvantage. They did not enjoy many of the capabilities essential to human flourishing. And yet, both women asserted their humanity and agency, displaying resilience and resistance to the social injustices they encountered. The insights that this analysis provides lead to practice recommendations for social work with cross-border migrants, ranging from personal to structural levels of intervention. Hence, the paper demonstrates how a listening that is guided by the Human Capabilities Approach can inform our understanding of, and responses to, the multifaceted impact that social injustice has on the lives of the people whom social work seeks to assist.