Student Research

This paper investigates the challenges facing female councillors in Ekurhuleni
Metropolitan Municipality. It is based on the assumption that female councillors
are still faced with numerous challenges despite all efforts to address that
problem. The factors that discourage participation of women in politics are
classified as ideological factors, political factors, socio-cultural factors, economic
factors and media. It becomes very important for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan
Municipality to understand that these challenges exist so that proper and relevant
interventions may be developed, to assist in addressing those challenges.
Gender mainstreaming is discussed, which explains a variety of tools and
instruments used at international, regional and local levels. These tools are meant
to address gender equality: Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action (BPA), Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Municipal
Structural Act and Municipal Systems Act.
A qualitative study was used to respond to the research questions that focused
on challenges faced by female councillors, support structures available for female
councillors and the effectiveness of these support structures. The focus is on
feminist social research. The assumption is that men and women have different
perceptions of life because of their social status.
The findings of the research are that society is still divided along gender roles.
Women are considered as the main care givers for the family. Women are not
part of political inner circles, where major political decisions are taken, including
deployment to key and strategic positions. Socially, women are still facing
challenges of low education levels that result in a lack of communication skills,
which in turn hampers their ability to lead effectively. In terms of economy, most
women are in low income paying jobs. This makes it difficult for women to
campaign for strategic decision-making positions, as campaigning involves the
use of money. Women leaders are also not using media effectively to market
themselves.
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There is laxity in terms of implementation of gender equity policies. Support structures and system exist solely on paper. There is no proper assessment to check if systems implemented to support women are effective and relevant.

The study investigated the communication strategies used to address the problem of child defilement: A case study of the operations of the Department of Child Development in Chisanga village of Kasama District. Despite harsh penalties or sentences imposed upon all convicted child defilers which range from a minimum of 14 years to the maximum of life sentence, more children continue to be defiled. This implies that the environment in which children are growing up is no longer safe. The other source of concern is that so many sensitisation campaigns against child defilement have been conducted. However, it appears that these are not yielding positive results as evidenced by the marked increase in the number of reported defilement cases since 2000. This could be attributed to ineffective communication strategies that are in place to sensitise the general public against this vice. It may also imply that the messages being disseminated are not effective enough and that they could be targeted at wrong persons.

The general objective of the research was to assess the communication strategies used by the Department of Child Development to address the problem of child defilement in Chisanga village. The specific objectives were to examine the communication strategies the department used to disseminate messages to the public; to determine what messages on child defilement the department communicated to Chisanga village; to assess whether the residents of Chisanga village knew that child defilement was a crime; to establish reasons why people in Chisanga village defiled children; to find out how residents of Chisanga village perceived child defilers and to find out which media forms Chisanga residents had access to for information acquisition.
The research design used in this study was a case study. Purposive sampling and Convenience sampling were used to collect data from Ministry of Gender and Child Development staff, stakeholders and respondents respectively. Both primary and secondary data was collected. Primary data was collected using participant observation, questionnaires, research interview guides administered to key informants. Secondary data was collected from previous research, text books, internet and field reports. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS). The major findings of the study were that the Department of Child Development had very poor communication strategies marked by heavy usage of a local community radio station which was apparently not accessible by everyone. The messages disseminated were also rare and inadequate to foster attitude change. It is hoped that through this study the department would begin to craft better communication strategies that would bring about positive behavioural change.

This study discusses the role of the community in preventing domestic violence in Chaisa Township, Lusaka Urban. The general objective of this study was to investigate the role of the community in preventing domestic violence. The specific objectives were: to investigate the prevalence of domestic violence in Chaisa; to investigate perceptions regarding domestic violence as a serious problem among Chaisa residents; to determine the role that the Chaisa community play in preventing domestic violence and to find out whether or not there are any community owned initiatives aimed at preventing domestic violence in Chaisa.
The study was a descriptive survey in its design and adopted qualitative research methods. The study site was Chaisa Township in Lusaka Urban and the total sample size was sixty seven (67). In-depth Interviews and Focus Group Discussions were used to collect data. Probability multi stage sampling was used in recruiting household participants and non- probability purposeful sampling was adhered to in recruiting community leaders into the study. The data collected was analysed using content analysis.
The study found out that there was a high prevalence of domestic violence in Chaisa. Most people in the community were not involved in preventing domestic violence. However, some members of the community prevented violence using some of the following strategies: intervening in incidences of domestic violence, reporting domestic violence cases in the neighbourhood to the police, women submitting to husbands or avoiding quarrelling with drunken spouse or simply walking away when angered. As for the community leaders, the study found that, most churches emphasised marriage values to their members which discouraged violence and some churches provided women economic empowerment programmes to lessen economic dependency on men. Marriage counsellors discouraged couples against domestic violence while some political parties were also involved in handing over repeat offenders of domestic violence to the police. However, there were no community owned organisations dedicated to domestic violence prevention. Therefore, the study concluded that, there needs to be massive sensitisation on the subject of domestic violence and women’s rights for strengthened, organised and sustained initiatives aimed at preventing domestic violence in Chaisa.
The researcher recommends massive sensitisation on the subject of domestic violence in Chaisa, all perceived community leaders need to be educated on domestic violence so that they take part in prevention efforts, the Chaisa Ward Development Committee must immediately initiate strategies on domestic violence prevention and also women economic empowerment is urgently required in Chaisa as economic dependency on men was cited as a major contributor to domestic violence in Chaisa. The researcher also recommends that there is urgent need to implement the National Plan of Action on Gender Based Violence (GBV) of 2010-2014 which has elaborated on community participation in eradicating GBV.

This dissertation is entitled ‘Communication as a factor in the perpetration and prevention of domestic violence against women among the Bemba people of Mwamba’s Village in Kasama District.’ The scourge of domestic violence against women in Zambia has reached alarming proportions and calls for the attention of all stakeholders. Some victims of domestic violence end up being traumatized, maimed or dying thereby compromising the survival and psychological development of their children.This study was aimed at investigating whether Bemba communication culture is a contributing factor to domestic violence against women and at finding out how the same Bemba communication culture can be used to fight this scourge.
A snap shot survey design was adopted in this research; employing the triangulation approach to data collection and analysis. The qualitative data gathering methods included the review of secondary data on the topic as well as five in-depth interviews and four focus group discussions. As regards the quantitative methods of data collection, there was community mapping and a questionnaire which was administered to 90 members of the community. The research participants were chosen by purposive as well as cluster sampling. The quantitative data obtained from the field research was processed into tables and charts by means of Microsoft excel while the qualitative data was summarised and arranged into themes.
The study found out that women have lost the high status that they enjoyed in Bemba society. The Bemba communication system is now dominated by men and the cultural messages favour men rather than women. Although the people of Mwamba’s Village perceive domestic violence against women as an issue and are aware of the gender imbalances present in their communication culture, they believe that their culture fights against domestic violence against women rather than contributes to the problem.
The researcher’s conclusion is that Bemba communication culture is a driver of domestic violence against women. Since this is a communication issue, behaviour change campaigns would help to address domestic violence against women. Nevertheless, this approach has to be combined with social change communication and advocacy communication. The researcher, therefore, recommends that the powerful Bemba communication media and channels be employed for an effective and efficient response to the problem.He is calling on government organslike the presidency, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the Ministry of Gender, the courts of law and the police to work closely with NGOs, the media, the Church and traditional leadership in order to come up with culturally embedded communication programs to fight domestic violence against women in Zambia

Gender Based Violence is a global human rights problem but some women still lack knowledge and information on their rights. They do not even know the services offered including facilities that are in place which would help them if at all they are victimised despite the many efforts that the Zambian government has put up. This affects mostly the rural women because they are away from where such services are offered. If gender issues are properly handled they can lead to development of the nation which is sustainable. The department of Social Welfare serves the vulnerable social groups and individuals including those affected by GBV but how effective have they been in communicating messages against GBV? The purpose of the study was to evaluate the communication strategies being used by the department of Social Welfare in the fight against GBV in Mansa District. The researcher in order to obtain data used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Triangulation of these methods was used by the use of questionnaires, focus group discussion, in-depth interviews, and participant observation. Purposive, convenient and simple sampling procedures were also used. The software package for social sciences (SPSS) and thematic analysis was used to analyse data. The findings revealed that the knowledge by the community on the existence of the department of social welfare as a department that attends to GBV issues was poor though the department has clearly set out their role in the fight against GBV with their main focus being confined to giving shelter to the victims of GBV those that are deemed not safe from the environment within which the violence happened. The department has no written communication strategy paper but has some good strategies that it uses. The communication strategies being used are however not adequate and effective enough in the fight against GBV. The recommendations are that the department should have a communications strategy paper to which they can refer to and incorporate other and more communication strategies in order to be effective. Above all the department has to work towards their existence as GBV activists in the grassroots in order to be recognized and effective in their service delivery

The thrust of this study is to highlight and expose the effects of HIV and AIDS on the
traditional Ndau woman in Chipinge District. This thesis emphasises how much the
woman in Chipinge has sacrificed in terms of providing care to people living with HIV
and AIDS (herein after referred to as PLWHA). Apart from examining this and the other
diverse burdens that women carry, this project highlights how Ndau women in Chipinge
have been key to the overall response to HIV and AIDS. This is achieved through
application of cultural hermeneutics of the Ndau religion, the traditional religion of
Chipinge. I apply a hermeneutic of suspicion to assess the role played by some Ndau
traditional practices which fall into the category of Harmful Cultural Practices
(HCPs).Most of these, as analysed, are embedded in most traditional marriage practices
as is explained in chapter 2. Furthermore, I employ a hermeneutic of commitment and a
hermeneutic of liberation as I argue that not all Ndau practices affect women negatively
with regards to HIV and AIDS: there is still a silver lining in the ‘not so dark’ cloud. I
look for alternative ways in which Ndau practices and custom can be re-interpreted and
contextualized in a helpful way to fight the epidemic. This purpose is achieved especially
in chapter 4. This research is motivated by feminism, and in particular, liberal feminism.
In this project I strongly argue that though most African traditional practices have been
assessed negatively, and most are known to victimise women, their liberation can still
happen within their own traditional societies. Though I do not argue against any other
means such as new religious ideologies and westernisation, my argument is that though
most Ndau traditional societies victimise women, there still exists redemptive beliefs and
practices for women within the traditional setting of the Ndaus. I look for liberating
resources that can be tapped from folklores, myths and other forms of oral literature in
Ndau religion. I argue for the silver lining in the dark cloud presented by some harmful
cultural practices (HCPs) that present African Traditional Religions (ATRs) as oppressive
and ruthless to women. In this thesis, I deliberate on how the roles of women should not
be looked down upon, and why maleness should not be a means to power if the response
to HIV and AIDS is to be effective. Ndau traditional culture presents women mostly at
the receiving end, particularly in the era HIV and AIDS. It is key to understand that this
thesis therefore becomes a microcosm of the macrocosm. What this study comes up with
can have basic information on women, HIV and AIDS, and many other traditional
societies. As such, this thesis provides a social framework on how such cultures and
customs can be contextualised, reinterpreted, remodeled, adapted and adopted in the
framework of HIV and AIDS. Apart from cultural hermeneutics as a method, sociology
of religion is key in this project. Interviews particularly snowball sampling gives results.
However, the overarching methodology employed in this study is phenomenology of
religion, as suggested in the topic. I gather information for this project through such ways
as mentioned earlier, but central is the idea that ‘the believer is always right’, which is
key in phenomenology. The results of my research try as much as possible to present
what the believer presents to the researcher, trying by all means to be unbiased.The
effects of HIV and AIDS on women are ruthless, but however, there are some positive
effects which are not so much talked about as the negative effects.

The widespread adoption of mobile communication by South African teenagers is playing an increasing role in their formation of identities and construction of knowledge. This dissertation uses feminist critical discourse analysis as an explanatory framework in order to investigate what types of discourses around HIV/AIDS emerge from queries submitted to the mobile application H360 °, which is an educational portal on MXit, South Africa’s most popular messaging platform. These queries are analysed in order to identify how gender and other power relationships inform young people’s discourse on MXit. This approach gives insights into how South African teenagers construct discourses about HIV/AIDS knowledge within an environment where unequal power relationships reflect gender, race and class divisions. In the face of such dynamics, attempts to halt the spread of the disease have so far proven ineffective.

The Traditional Courts Bill (TCB) has drawn national attention since its introduction to the National Assembly (NA) in 2008, much of which influenced the Bill’s withdrawal in 2011 and re-emerged with the Bill’s reintroduction to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) in December 2011.

The resources presented here were created in the mid-2000’s and are augmented by Feminist Africa journals as well as updated ‘related’ resources. The materials are diverse and include course outlines, review essays as well as profiles of individuals and organisations involved in the areas of gender teaching and activism in Africa. The resources can be used as guides for discussion, for planning course outlines or used as references. It is suggested that the materials are best used to generate debate and discussion. Taking into account the kinds of opportunities and challenges faced by feminists located in African universities, the GWS Africa project offers African-authored and African-centred material that takes gender seriously. Here we offer Teaching & learning resources developed by the project.

GWS Africa uses Information and communication technologies for the development and dissemination of intellectual resources to support and strengthen African-based teaching and research in gender studies. The project started out of a need to respond to the challenges faced by higher education institutions on the continent and in particular, to the development of Gender and Women’s Studies programmes. There is a dearth of home-grown gender research that addresses the poorly understood realities of African gender relations and cultures.

To augment the materials presented here, we suggest that you consult the journal, Feminist Africa. Feminist Africa is a continental gender studies journal produced by a community of feminist scholars. It provides a platform for intellectual and activist research, dialogue and strategy. We are constantly updating the materials with related news, events and resources relevant to the subject areas. We hope that you will find both the learning materials and related information useful in your teaching and research.

Media reports are emerging on the phenomenon of young girls who travel with older mini-bus taxi drivers, and who are thought to have sex with the drivers in exchange for gifts and money. The extent to which such relationships might facilitate unsafe sexual
practices and increased risks for both the men and the young women, often referred to as taxi queens, remains an important question in the light of the current challenges of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. However, very little research has been undertaken on this issue, especially regarding the perceptions and experiences of taxi drivers. Thus this paper aims to provide some preliminary findings on taxi drivers’ attitudes and beliefs about taxi queens and their relationships with taxi drivers. A 22-item questionnaire was administered to 223 male taxi drivers in two regions in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Taxi drivers in this study largely saw the relationship between taxi drivers and the young girls who ride with them as providing status for both the girls and drivers, and there seemed to be recognition of the transactional nature of the relationship between taxi drivers and taxi queens. The stigmatisation of young girls who ride with taxi drivers was evident. Drivers had knowledge and awareness of the risks of unsafe sex and supported condom use, although there appeared to be some uncertainty and confusion about the likelihood of HIV infection between drivers and girls. While taxi drivers recognised the role of alcohol in relationships with young girls, they seemed to deny that the abuse of drugs was common. The study highlights a number of key areas that need to be explored with men in the taxi industry, in order to address risk behaviours for both taxi drivers and the
girls who ride with them.