A view of migrant women's "right to the city" through the lens of translocality

With a global commitment to leave no one behind, cities can design and execute programs and plans aimed at enhancing the rights of all to the city. Yet, the vulnerable, including low-income migrants are subject to socioeconomic marginalization. Based on interviews with 38 head porters and their translocal networks, this study examined the influence of translocality on migrant's female head porters' "right to the city" using the Central Business Area of Kumasi as a case study. The paper found that female head porters leveraged their translocal relations to produce and enjoy the benefits of the city. Translocal networks enhanced their right to create and be employed, rights against abuse, civic participation, creation and access to public spaces, and healthy and sustainable urban environment. This is far from exhaustive, but it thus demonstrates how translocal networks enhance access to the "right to the city" among the vulnerable. It is suggested that migrants' fruitful translocal linkages may be further promoted by city authorities as resources for migrants' integration and rights to the city. While this may facilitate synergy effects and collaboration between citizens such as migrants and authorities, it does not exempt city authorities from actively supporting migrants through specifically designed policies and actions.