Gender and development: a study of the impact of selected cooperatives in the Eastern Cape Province
- Authors: Sithole, Noluthando Victoria
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Easttern Cape , Gender identity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11752 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/194 , Cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Rural development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in development -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Women in cooperative societies -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape , Poverty -- South Africa -- Easttern Cape , Gender identity -- South Africa -- Eastern Cape
- Description: In 1994 South Africa took a new direction towards democratic governance. This led to a change of government principles and approaches in leading the country. The people became the centre of the country’s development, resulting in the adoption of people-centred development and people-driven strategies. A special focus highlighted women as in the category which had endured poverty the most in South Africa. The South African government, through its various departments, has a responsibility to improve the lives of South Africans, and the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Social Development is one of the departments which has committed itself towards changing the lives of women in the community. As a strategy to implement community development, the Provincial Department of Social Development is funding women cooperative programmes. Women cooperatives are a relatively new endeavour to address poverty within the democratic South Africa. The study supports the notion and attempts to show the impact that women have on community development. The researcher began studying the trends and realized that the funds allocated and the funding process of community development programmes by Provincial Department of Social Development is not working towards empowering communities. A purposive sampling method was used to select two women cooperative programmes in the Chris Hani District Municipality to explore the role of women in community development in the current context of democracy and social welfare transformation in South Africa; to explore the impact of gender through women cooperatives on community development and to explore strategies for the empowerment of women through community development intervention. The design of the study is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive in nature. The study also adapted evaluation and gender analysis methods to verify the effectiveness of women programmes. The study recommends that women be empowered with skills, knowledge, resources and opportunities to enable them to be more effective in community development.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Male perspectives on gender violence in South Africa: the case of Nkonkobe municipal area
- Authors: Danga, Talent
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Abused wives -- South Africa , Abused women -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa , Women -- Crimes against -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa -- Research , Family violence -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11753 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/180 , Abused wives -- South Africa , Abused women -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa , Women -- Crimes against -- South Africa , Family violence -- South Africa -- Research , Family violence -- Law and legislation -- South Africa
- Description: The study explores the experiences of men who perpetrated violence against women in the domestic sphere. The study’s overarching concern is that violence has been largely seen as a women’s problem and not an issue that is central to men and yet in most cases are the perpetrators of this violence. Consequently, men have not been targeted in initiatives that curb domestic violence (Salo, 2005). It is in this frame of reference that this study saw it imperative to focus on the male perspective of gender violence. The study aims to find factors that contribute to male violence and in turn recommend practical and appropriate strategies of dealing with male violence perpetrators. The study drew its theoretical framework largely from the feminist theory, systems theory and the social learning theory in-order to gain insight into the different frameworks for making judgement about male violence against women. Feminists hold the view that, starting with people’s experiences is a powerful tool that provides the rational for their studies. The study was therefore qualitative in nature as it sought to gather men’s experiences of violent against their spouses; semi-structured interviews were utilized during data collection. A purposive sampling method was utilised to select ten men who were known to have perpetrated violence against their partners and five key informants with special knowledge on domestic violence. The research was conducted through the Department of Social Development in Alice in the Eastern Cape, which facilitated a trusting relationship between the researcher and its clients. The findings established that violence is used to maintain control and power over women. Men invoked hegemonic discourses as violence is employed as an instrument to suppress women, mostly in instances were women question their prerogatives and undermine their authority. It was evidenced that cultural practices such as ‘lobola’ (dowry) usually contribute to men’s use of violence. Most of the respondents understood violence from the physical dimension only, as violence was equated to beating and slapping. Added to that was the respondents’ inadequate understanding of domestic violence laws and legislation. The study also established that social service providers seem not to have concrete procedures and capacity to deal with perpetrators of domestic violence. In light of the problems discussed, the study recommends effective counseling and educational programs, policy improvement, capacitation of service providers and the criminal justice system and further research as strategies for dealing with male violence in the Nkonkobe District.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Widowhood and property inheritance in Zimbabwe: experiences of widows in Sikalenge ward, Binga District
- Authors: Dube, Misheck
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: Widows -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Inheritance and succession -- Zimbabwe
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11755 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/200 , Widows -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Women -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Zimbabwe , Inheritance and succession -- Zimbabwe
- Description: Zimbabwean widows need to inherit property when their husbands die. Property, be it material or financial in nature, is a source of sustenance and wealth. Depriving women of property inheritance rights has untold consequences. This study focuses on the property inheritance rights of widows in Zimbabwe in the Sikalenge Ward of Binga District. The aim of the study is to understand how property grabbing affects widows and to find possible solutions and intervention strategies social workers may use. The literature reviewed in the study was drawn from both the legal field and social work to create a link between the fields. The study was shaped by radical feminism for conceptualising property grabbing while the formulated intervention strategies utilised the empowerment model. The study is qualitative in nature using interviews to collect data from ten widows and five social service providers who constitute the total of fifteen participants in the study. Data was analysed qualitatively using interpretive approaches and presentation is textual rather than statistical. The main finding of the study is that widows are still being denied their inheritance rights despite the provision of such rights by the Intestate Succession Laws promulgated in November 1997 by the government of Zimbabwe. Moreover, the widows are not aware of the inheritance laws of Zimbabwe and hence did not seek any professional intervention. The few who attempted the legal process for recourse were not successful. Even though it was minimally attempted, the study established that the main form of failed intervention tried by the women was legal in nature and suggests and emphasises an eminent need for Social Work intervention to supplement legal intervention.
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- Date Issued: 2008