3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions
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Item BUA PUO PHA: A women’s Transgenerational Dialogue on the struggle between personal and cultural expectations in Ntoane Village(2019) Thalhuli-Nzuza, MammatliThis research explores the tension between women’s personal wellbeing, expectations and desires and the expectations imposed by cultural practices, customs, beliefs and norms. We know that there are harmful traditional cultural practices which violate the rights of women and that policies and legislative instruments have been put in place to outlaw these practices. Examples of such practices in South Africa include marriage by abduction, child marriages and virginity testing (Wadesango, et al., 2009). So far, the nature of interventions that deal with women’s rights in rural South African communities tends to focus on advocacy and education, but fail to recognize the existence of intergenerational conflict among women. This conflict compromises the ability for interventions focusing on women’s rights to have sustainable impact on the community and gives opportunity for further violation of women’s rights through harmful traditional cultural practices. This study demonstrates and offers the use of Story, in Applied Theatre and Drama (Chinyowa, (2001), Fox (2006), Mutwa, (1965), as a tool to engage women on traditional cultural practices which violate their rights. It takes a Generational Approach (Howe and Strauss, 2007) to understanding the underlying causes of the continuation of such practices by engaging with the personal narratives of an intergenerational group of women from Ntoane Village, Limpopo, South Africa. Using Narrative Inquiry (Hinchman & Hinchman, 1997), Reflective Practice (Schon, 1987) and Narrative Practice (Gubrium and Holstein1998) in partnership with Story, women from Generation X and Y cohorts embarked on a four-day process which revealed how the characteristics and behavioural patterns of each generation impact and determine the positioning of women in the community and ultimately women’s experiences of traditional cultural practices. The research findings suggest that applying a Generational Approach to social development processes in rural South African communities, as it proves in this research, may contribute to the sustainability of sociological interventions in such environments.Item The bureaucratisation of gender mainstreaming and the role of political will: a case study of the department of public service and administration in South Africa(2019) Ramparsad, NitashaThis study is situated in the field of Gender Studies. The study investigates the South African State’s (in) ability to effectively mainstream gender as a strategy for gender equality. Despite having ratified several pieces of local, regional and international legislation, the gender agenda seems to be elusive when assessing the implementation of policy for gender equality. The major theoretical question being addressed is “What are the factors that enable and/or constrain the implementation of gender equality in countries that have formally committed to this goal?” The Department of Public Service and Administration has been selected as the case study for this research, as this Ministry is allocated the responsibility for the management of policy in State departments in South Africa. Despite the official support expressed by the State in ratifying major legislation for example, the Beijing Platform for Action and the Convention for the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Dunker (2005) believes that the “gender wave has passed”. The study builds on the work of authors such as Hassim, Moser, Cornwall, Kabeer, Gouws and Rao et al. However, this larger body of research does not drill down into the barriers the State faces, but rather generalises findings in this area. This study offers unique insight into the barriers faced in the State’s implementation of gender equality legislation. This is done by assessing the role of political will, resourcing and constructing an enabling environment as major influences for the success of Gender Mainstreaming within the South African State. The study analyses the bureaucratisation of gender mainstreaming at the Department of Public Service and Administration and reveals how this allows for the disruption of initiatives and masks the failings of the driver for gender equality, namely political will. The study reflects on political will from outside as well as from within the Department. Through the case study, the powerful role of political will in the success of gender mainstreaming for gender equality is demonstratedItem Challenges and prospects of the South African Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill(2016) Sibanda, NonhlanhlaThis research assesses the challenges and prospects of the South African ‘Women Empowerment and Gender Equality (WEGE) Bill’. The bill, passed by the National Council of Provinces in March, 2014 seeks to reinforce rights and opportunities in advancing gender equality and women empowerment in the country. The scope of this study is national and uses scenario planning to explore the future of the WEGE Bill through reviewing fifteen written parliamentary submissions and eighteen questionnaires. Questionnaires were distributed to representatives from government, civil society organisations and the private sector. The findings of the study revealed that while South Africa has made great legal and policy strides in advancing gender equality, a lot still needs to be done to realise that end. The promulgation of the new WEGE Bill has also not provided sufficient justification or prospects for any greater impact in addressing gender inequalities more than any other existing laws or policies would. Greater political will and more robust processes of consultation and stakeholder engagement are essential to making decisions on future gender equality policy making.