Conceptualizing xenophobia as structural violence in the lives of refugee women in Gauteng, South Africa

This paper highlights the embeddedness of xenophobia in institutions through a theoretical but empirically under-researched concept structural violence. Drawing on in-depth qualitative interview data with refugee women Gauteng, South Africa, we explore empirical utility violence shaping women’s everyday experiences three analytical themes: (a) unequal access to resources (b) constrained agency and (c) dehumanization. While keeping an grip experiential narratives xenophobia, draw attention public that enhance vulnerability those already vulnerable: The Department Home Affairs, African Police Service Public Hospitals. Our elucidates how experience they manage their “everyday” these circumstances- aspect remains underdeveloped existing research.