scholarly journals Forced and Child Marriage at the Intersection of Health, Gender and Human Rights: Understanding the Determinants in Morocco and the Impact of the Migratory Context in Belgium

Afrika Focus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-141
Author(s):  
Alexia Sabbe

With over 650 million women alive today already suffering the consequences of child marriage, the practice of forced and child marriage disproportionally affects girls and women. Given its impact on physical and psychological wellbeing, it is a serious form of violence against women. In view of the global magnitude of forced and child marriage, and the increasing numbers of international migrants, the general objective of this research is to ascertain the determinants of forced and child marriage in Morocco and the impact of the migratory context on the issue among Moroccan migrants in Belgium. Our research analysed forced and child marriage in both settings from two angles. First, we studied policies and the socio-cultural context in a top-down perspective through the analysis of legislation, public debates and through expert/stakeholder interviews. Secondly, we investigated the determinants of forced and child marriage in both research settings from a bottom-up perspective through Focus Group Discussions and household interviews, as well as investigating the impact of legislative conditions and restrictions on migrants and their families.

Afrika Focus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexia Sabbe

With over 650 million women alive today already suffering the consequences of child marriage, the practice of forced and child marriage disproportionally affects girls and women. Given its impact on physical and psychological wellbeing, it is a serious form of violence against women. In view of the global magnitude of forced and child marriage, and the increasing numbers of international migrants, the general objective of this research is to ascertain the determinants of forced and child marriage in Morocco and the impact of the migratory context on the issue among Moroccan migrants in Belgium. Our research analysed forced and child marriage in both settings from two angles. First, we studied policies and the socio-cultural context in a top-down perspective through the analysis of legislation, public debates and through expert/stakeholder interviews. Secondly, we investigated the determinants of forced and child marriage in both research settings from a bottom-up perspective through Focus Group Discussions and household interviews, as well as investigating the impact of legislative conditions and restrictions on migrants and their families. KEY WORDS: CHILD AND FORCED MARRIAGE, WOMEN’S RIGHTS, SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, VIOLENCE, MOROCCO, MIGRATION, BELGIUM


2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tafadzwa Rugoho ◽  
France Maphosa

This article is based on a study of gender-based violence against women with disabilities. The study sought to examine the factors that make such women vulnerable, to investigate the community’s responses to gender-based violence against women with disabilities, and to determine the impact of gender-based violence on the wellbeing and health of women with disabilities. The study adopted a qualitative research design so as to arrive at an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon under study. The study sample consisted of 48 disabled women living in marital or common law unions, selected using purposive sampling. Of the 48 women in the sample, 16 were visually impaired while the remaining 32 had other physical disabilities. Focus group discussions were used for data collection. The data were analysed using the thematic approach. The finding was that women with disabilities also experience gender-based violence. The study makes recommendations whose thrust is to change community perceptions on disability as the only guarantee towards eradicating gender-based violence against women with disabilities.


Human Affairs ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olayinka Akanle ◽  
Olanrewau Olutayo

AbstractUnderstanding the selves, situations and actions of Africans can never be comprehended outside kinship. Local and foreign worldviews are first pigeonholed into culture and defined within kinship realities in Nigeria and Africa. There have been studies on kinship in Africa. However, the findings from such studies portrayed the immutability of African kinship. Thus, as an important contribution to the on-going engagement of kinship in the twenty-first century as an interface between the contemporary Diaspora, this article engaged kinship within international migration. This is a major behavioural and socio-economic force in Nigeria. Methodological triangulation was adopted as part of the research design and primary data were collected through in-depth interviews (IDIs), and life histories of international migrants were documented and focus group discussions (FGDs) were held with kin of returnees. The article found and concluded that while returnees continued to appreciate local kinship infrastructures, the infrastructures were liable to reconstruction primarily determined by dominant support situations in the traditional African kinship networks.


Author(s):  
Kelley Erin Carpenter Massengale ◽  
Cherese Childers-McKee ◽  
Aerin Benavides

Abstract: Applying transformational critical advocacy research in college instruction can be a powerful way to engage students in challenging inequity in society and promoting positive changes. Few studies systematically measure the impact of such pedagogy on the development of college students’ beliefs about advocacy. In this mixed methods study, we worked with 21 preservice teachers through advocacy letter writing activities and collected data from pre/post surveys and focus group discussions to explore the impact of such pedagogy. The findings indicated that advocacy letter writing was a meaningful activity for preservice teachers, allowing them a professional opportunity to voice their concerns about personally meaningful issues to entities in power. A significant correlation was found between baseline advocacy experiences and baseline advocacy beliefs, suggesting that the teaching of advocacy, when combined with opportunities for meaningful practice, can contribute to shifts in belief about the importance of advocating. 


Author(s):  
M Y Gebregeorgis

The objective of this study was to explore the endogenous conflict resolution mechanisms and practices of the San people at Platfontein, South Africa. To this end, data were collected from 304 interviews and 26 focus group discussions. The collected data were analysed through Inductive Thematic Analysis. The findings show that the San people have endogenous conflict resolution mechanisms which basically aim at restoring peace and harmony within the community. The endogenous mechanisms were found to be fairly participatory and supplementary to the state machineries that work for justice, peace and harmony. However, the conflict resolution mechanisms of the San people are currently weakening due to the impact of modernisation and the leadership dispute among the sub-groups of the community.


2016 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma Regina M. Hechanova ◽  
Lynn C. Waelde ◽  
Pia Anna P. Ramos

This study evaluated the impact of Katatagan, a culturally adapted, group-based, and mindfulness-informed resilience intervention developed for disaster survivors in the Philippines. The intervention aimed to teach six adaptive coping skills: harnessing strengths, managing physical reactions, managing thoughts and emotions, seeking solutions and support, identifying positive activities, and planning for the future. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted with 163 Typhoon Haiyan survivors. Six-month follow-up assessments were obtained for 37 participants. Pre- and post-results showed improvements in participants’ self-efficacy on all six coping skills. The 6-month follow-up revealed significant improvements in four of the six coping skills. Focus group discussions conducted at follow-up revealed that mindfulness, self-care, strengths, and reframing were some of the topics that were most memorable to participants. Among these, participants identified mindfulness as a skill that they continued to use. Participants also shared that they felt stronger because of the intervention and have shared what they learned with others in their communities.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 80-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Fisher ◽  
Babar Kabir ◽  
Edward Lahiff ◽  
Malcolm MacLachlan

A substantial component of BRAC’s WASH programme involves educating rural Bangladeshis about safe water management, good hygiene and the causes of diarrhoea. By conducting questionnaires and focus group discussions in two BRAC WASH villages and one control village, this investigation sought to assess the impact of BRAC’s programme on knowledge, practices and diarrhoeal burden, to explore the extent to which knowledge determines practices, and to evaluate which factors were most predictive of diarrhoeal incidence. It was found that the programme had a beneficial effect on the subjects’ knowledge and practices, and on the diarrhoeal incidence among their children. Furthermore, except for where personal financial expenditure was required, practices tended to follow on from knowledge. However, BRAC’s intervention affected neither the frequency of soap use in handwashing by the mother, nor the child’s consumption of unclean water outside of the home. These factors, along with the child’s consumption of unclean water inside the home, were shown to be those most predictive of diarrhoeal incidence among the under-fives. It is recommended that BRAC continues to emphasize the importance of these points, while also potentially promoting the use of less costly alternatives to soap and cheaper point-of-use treatment materials, to induce positive behaviour change.


2009 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise McCall ◽  
Natalie Wray ◽  
Bill Lord

Introduction To identify factors that affect the education of pre-employment paramedic students during the clinical practicum. Methods A purposive sampling technique was employed to recruit undergraduate students from the Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic) (BEHP) who had recently completed their first or final clinical placement. Qualitative data was collected via a total of 3 focus group discussions; two focus group discussions were conducted with students on completion of their final placement, and one focus group discussion was conducted with students who had recently completed their first placement. Participants were asked to share their career and placement expectations, placement experiences, career path intentions, and the impact of placements on their career decisions. Results This paper reports on student perception of education in the clinical environment and their impression of the strengths and weaknesses of this model. We identified four major themes: (1) communication, (2) appropriate placements, (3) capacity building and, (4) adequate preparation for students. Conclusion The University, ambulance service and students need to form a relationship to foster the quality of clinical education. Each party needs to adequately communicate and prepare for quality learning to occur in placements. Good mechanisms for the identification of problems early, particularly in relation to student support and case load are necessary. Ongoing evaluation of the quality of clinical placement education is required and should include all parties who are also committed to continuous improvement.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwazi Sibanda ◽  
Joyce Mathwasa

The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of teachers and learners on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on rural secondary school female learners in Matobo District. The study was qualitative in nature, entrenched on interpretivist paradigm and adopted a case study design. Data was collected using open-ended questionnaire and online focus group discussions from six teachers and eighteen learners who formed three focus group discussions. The participants were purposively sampled from three schools. The study found that a few teachers were able to conduct online lessons using WhatsApp platform during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in the selected schools though there was no consistence as teaching was not programmed and participation of female learners was low. The findings revealed that most of the parents could not afford to provide online learning resources for their children because of economic hardships. The study further established that rural female learners were at risk during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as some of them were exposed to sexual abuse when they try to have access to smartphones and data bundles from some male adults. It was found that female learners have lost much of their learning time whilst on lockdown and many cases of pregnancy have emerged leading to dropping out of school. The study concluded that most of the rural secondary school female learners were excluded from education during lockdown due to poverty, unavailability of network or poor network coverage, lack of broadcast transmission services to enable them to access online lessons through the radio, lack of electricity, poor attendance due to lack of smartphones and data bundles, performance of all household chores including herding of cattle and lack of cooperation from some parents. The study recommended that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education should collaborate with stakeholders to provide necessary resources to enable all learners to access online learning despite geographical location. <p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0721/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>


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