Historical Analysis of African Women Workers in South Africa During the Period 1900 to 2000
Author(s)
Lalthapersad, Pinky
Abstract
The article is a detailed exposition of the history of the incorporation of African women into paid work in the South African labor market. The interlocking effects of racism, classism and sexism exposed African women to income and job insecurity. Historically, access of African women to the labor market was shaped by the gendered nature of the migrant labor system and by legal measures that restricted women’s entry into urban areas and waged work. When African women were allowed into the formal labor market, they were only allowed to undertake the low-skilled, low-paying, menial jobs, were excluded from union benefits and forced to work under exploitative conditions.
