Narratives of Mobility - understanding the movement of womxn in and around Johannesburg.

This paper investigates, theorises and seeks to understand the movement of womxn in and around Johannesburg—interrogating the politics of gender and sexuality as it relates to migration and mobility. I am interested in an inquiry into ways in which Johannesburg lends itself to freedom in mobility; and how gender and sexuality intersects with that freedom of movement. A body of evidence gathered through personal stories as well as national discourse through news and current affairs suggest that womxn do not have complete freedom to navigate the city. Womxn’s movements are restricted due to the toxic and pervasive culture of rape and violence as well as widespread misogyny that seeps through and affects multiple aspects of their lives. These restrictions extend beyond transient movement where womxn are (temporarily) moving through the city from one space to the other, but also include restrictions on their mobility which affects their ability to navigate spaces of power.