4. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - Faculties submissions

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Gender-based violence

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    Effectiveness of the Socio-economic Interventions that Empower Women’s Resilience Against Gender-based Violence in eMalahleni
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Sibisi, Zanele
    Gender-based violence (GBV) is pervasive in South Africa, impacting both genders across demographics. Studies reveal alarming rates, with 51% of women and 76% of men experiencing or perpetrating GBV. Partner violence and femicide are particularly concerning, with one in five women facing violence from partners, and the femicide rate five times the global average. GBV incurs a substantial economic cost of R 35.4 billion yearly, akin to employing 200,000 primary school teachers. It manifests in various forms and involves multiple perpetrators, necessitating socio-economic interventions addressing poverty and gender disparities. Empowering women through economic initiatives and challenging traditional gender norms are crucial strategies. By evaluating socioeconomic interventions in specific contexts, such as eMalahleni, South Africa, researchers can gain valuable insights into the mechanisms through which these interventions empower women and mitigate the risk of GBV. A semi-structured interview guide was created for discussions on interventions against gender-based violence (GBV) in eMalahleni, drawing upon the Gender Transformative and Capability Approaches. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze data, ensuring rigor through peer debriefing and member checking. The study delves into the demographics and experiences of GBV survivors, highlighting the diverse challenges they face. Most participants, aged 21-40, deal with additional burdens if they have children. Education and employment status influence vulnerability. GBV survivors endure various abuses, often resorting to self-referral for support. However, there is limited use of non-governmental organizations (NGO) services. Participants stress the necessity of comprehensive interventions offering immediate and long-term support, including socio-economic empowerment. They advocate for ongoing assistance to aid effective recovery. Recommendations emphasize holistic support, community involvement, and government funding to combat GBV effectively. The study proposes an innovative framework for assisting GBV victims
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    Femicide in South Africa: Ideal Victims, Visible Bodies, and Invisible Perpetrators
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-05) Nyathi, Tebogo; Falkof, Nicky
    South Africa’s femicide rate is five times the global average (Statistics South Africa 2018). In recent years, we have seen increased scholarly attention examining media reporting of femicide. These studies have been critical the way South African media have and continue to cover femicide. This study seeks to add to this existing knowledge by exploring the media coverage of three sexual violence murders. This study explores the online news media coverage of three case studies. These case studies are the rape and murder of University of Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana, the rape and murder of Lynette Volschenk, and the rape and murder of grade 7 pupil Janika Mallo. All these murders happened in Cape Town in August 2019 and received prominent media coverage. This study utilizes thematic analytic tools to explore dominant patterns in the data through the framework of representation and intersectionality. The study aims to do a close reading and identify discourses embedded in news media texts to highlight their functions, effects, and social and ideological implications for society. The findings reveal an increased focus on the visible bodily injuries of victims and media used spectacular language to present this. The focus on the bodily injuries resulted in making perpetrators invisible. The analysis confirmed that certain victims matter to media more than others. Furthermore, media represented femicide as a current crisis and ignored the historical structures that enable the prevalence of sexual violence. Although, this study is not comparative media analysis and does not provide media to show that some murders are under reported, because it is only looking at three cases the analysis does demonstrate that other murders matter more than others. The study concludes that the way media cover femicide does not present the ‘true reality’ of sexual violence in South Africa and we are still far from finding long lasting solutions to the rampant violence.
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    Gender-Based Violence: Lived experiences of female students at the University of the Witwatersrand
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Kgolane, Serole Joy; Langa, Malose
    This research aimed to explore experiences of Gender based violence (GBV) among female students at the University of the Witwatersrand. It sought to ascertain how these experiences unfolded as well as the impact they have had on the students. Intersectionality theory was applied as the theoretical framework to observe the impact of overlapping identities on the students’ experiences of GBV. The study consisted of seven female participants who were selected using a volunteer sampling method. Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the transcribed interviews and derive themes from the collected data. Four themes in total were identified: power relations, internal experience, normalization of GBV, and help-seeking. The objectives of the study were used to guide the analysis of the themes. The findings showed that students face stalking, verbal abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse perpetrated mostly by fellow male students. Moreover, influences of hegemonic masculinity and gendered power imbalances played a role in the perpetration of violence against the female students. Furthermore, the findings indicate that these experiences had adverse effects on the mental well-being of the students and led the students to adopt various coping strategies while often failing to engage in help-seeking behaviour.
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    “It’s not you that needs to change, it’s the system that needs to change” – The narratives of South African women professionals working with Gender-Based Violence
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-08) Ramlucken, Roxanne; Kiguwa, Peace
    Professional South African women who encounter gender-based violence in their field have important and potentially transformational experiences to share on addressing this issue. These professionals have experience and in-depth knowledge of the realities of working with gender-based violence. They can use their expertise to conceptualise and explain this phenomenon. They understand how gender-based violence is presented in society and their recommendations are informed by pragmatic reasoning. This study utilised a qualitative research method to obtain the narratives of these women that work in psychology, community health work, social work, legal work and journalism. This paper used a combination of three theoretical frameworks: narrative theory, post-structural feminist theory and African feminist theory. The synergies between these three theories prioritised the voice of the participants and allowed for a critical engagement with the narratives. The use of multiple professions accounts for the complex and multidimensional elements that contribute to the levels of gender-based violence in South Africa. The findings suggest the cultural acceptance of violence and patriarchal values are ingrained into the fabric of society. Gender-based violence is a systemic issue that prevails through insufficient implementation of legislation and the lack of accountability by official personnel.
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    Gender-based violence in Sri Lanka: Has Sustainable Development Goal 5 been an effective policy tool?
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023-03) Jurgensen, Kim; Zähringer, Natalie
    This research paper is an investigation of gender-based violence and gender inequality in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was chosen as a case study because it ended the 26-year civil war in 2009, and has had over a decade since this reset moment to rebuild the country. The paper builds on feminist research which says that high levels of gender inequality give rise to high levels of violence against women. The research is based on a gender structural inequality theoretical framework, and uses the Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 5 which talks to gender equality) as the measurements of these structures. While there has been work done on various aspects of development in Sri Lanka, the purpose of this research project was to pull together the targets under SDG 5 and, using a process tracing methodology, demonstrate their effect on levels of violence against women. The research stated upfront that data for the dependent variable (violence against women) was already known, and that data would be sought for the independent variables (i.e. the remaining targets under SDG 5) to show correlation between the DV and IVs. The research showed that there has been poor implementation for most of the targets under SDG 5, and as such the outcomes were mostly negative. These findings were in line with the theoretical framework of gender structural inequality, and the feminist writings of the link between gender inequality and violence against women. It was interesting to see that on two main areas i.e. sexual health and education (which does not fall under SDG 5), Sri Lanka has almost complete gender parity. This demonstrated that women’s economic power and participatory parity (i.e. participating at senior level in the labour market and in government) were decisive factors in entrenching conservative societal views that undermine women’s agency and entrenches unequal power dynamics in the home, where most of the violence occurs.
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    Social media’s influence on public policy in gender based violence
    (2022) Naidoo, Nalianee
    Constitutional transformation is the cornerstone of our new democracy and has entrenched Constitutional supremacy in South Africa. However, regardless of our twenty-six years into a new democracy, we are still challenged with social injustice around gender-based violence in our country. These historical challenges are rooted in the legacy of apartheid, colonialism, and a patriarchal society. Although our Constitution and Bill of Rights protects the rights of women, and there has been progressive interventions around policy changes, we are still not effectively addressing the scourge of gender- based violence. Policy changes require active public participation to ensure social justice and the protection of the rights of women in our society. Today, with the advancements in technology the use of social media has become a popular tool in social movements and their mobilization strategies. This component of social media in advocacy has broadened the scope and reach of social movements and has in many ways created wider terrain for which public policy can be influenced. To enhance democracy public participation has become a critical component and has contributed to changes in public policy, as it signals the ability of citizens to engage in democratic processes and to make contestations where necessary. The primary purpose of this research is to investigate, using qualitative methodology and a case study analysis, how the #TotalShutDown: 24Demands campaign leveraged social media in influencing public policy on Gender - Based violence in South Africa. Individual semi structured interviews were used for the collection of primary data from national and provincial members of the coordinating committees, while document analysis was used for the collection of secondary data which was collected and analysed. The research study revealed that through the leveraging of social media the #TotalShutDown:24Demands campaign was able to influence the policy environment. In addition, the study revealed that social media, as a strategic mobilization tool, allows for movements to broaden the terrain in which they can engage with women, thus providing wider reach for advocacy objectives to be reached. In the study, this was evidenced by the movement as they were able to effectively create networks across the country (nationally and provincially) to achieve its mission as described in the 24 Demands. Finally, the study will also show how integrated methods of mobilization (making use of traditional mobilization strategies while leveraging digital forms of engagement) strengthen advocacy efforts and often results in multiple forms of movement building and advocacy. The main recommendations made were, for a more inclusive approach to the Gender Based Violence space on the issue of intersectionality that needs to be addressed. A deeper 3 engagement with what constitutes a feminist approach needs to be analysed as there were different interpretations to this concept. Finally, for meaningful changes in the policy environment of the GBV space a more holistic approach needs to be adopted in the economic, social, and cultural spheres.