scholarly journals Discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy, denial of maternity leave and lack of conducive environment for nursing mother in the workplace in South Africa

Obiter ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 593-607
Author(s):  
Motlhatlego D Matotoka
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Maternity Leave ◽  
African Women ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Black African ◽  
Women In The Workplace ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Pregnancy Denial ◽  
Conducive Environment

In South Africa, women continue to be discriminated against on the grounds of being pregnant in the workplace and sometimes they are denied maternity leave, breastfeeding and childcare facilities. Methodologically, using a descriptive and content analysis research approach, this article examines how the apartheid era restricted the rights of pregnant women in the workplace, particularly black African women. Post-1994 South Africa, the article utilised various protective transformative legal and policy interventions that have been introduced and are being implemented to address the problem of discrimination against women on the grounds of pregnancy in the workplace.

Untangling discrimination in the private sector workplace in South Africa: Paving the way for Black African women progression to managerial positions

2021 ◽  
pp. 135822912199056
Author(s):  
Motlhatlego Dennis Matotoka ◽  
Kolawole Olusola Odeku
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
South African ◽  
African Women ◽  
The South ◽  
Quota System ◽  
Black African ◽  
Managerial Positions ◽  
Action Measures

Black African women in South Africa are poorly represented at managerial levels in the South African private sector since the advent of democracy. Their exclusion at these occupational levels persists despite the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA) requiring that the private sector must ensure that all occupational levels are equitably represented and reflects the demographics of South Africa. The South African private sector demonstrates its lack of commitment to proliferating black African women into managerial positions by deliberately engaging in race-based recruitment and failing to develop and promote suitably qualified women into managerial positions. As such, the private sector is failing to create upward mobility for black African women to break the glass ceiling. The EEA requires the private sector to apply affirmative action measures in order to achieve equity in the workplace. It is submitted that since 1998, the private sector has been provided with an opportunity to set it own targets in order to achieve equity. However, 22 years later, black African women are still excluded in key managerial positions. However, the EEA does not specifically impose penalties if the private sector fails to achieve the set targets.This approach has failed to increase the representation of black women in managerial positions. However, the EEA does not specifically impose penalties if the private sector fails to achieve the set targets. Whilst this approach seeks to afford the private sector importunity to set its own target, this approach has failed to increase the representation of black women in managerial positions. Employing black African women in managerial levels enhances their skills and increases their prospects to promotions and assuming further leadership roles in the private sector. This paper seeks to show that the progression of black African women requires South Africa to adopt a quota system without flexibility that will result in the private sector being compelled to appoint suitably qualified black African women in managerial levels.

Doing More With Less

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-30
Author(s):  
Jonathan Mukwevho ◽  
Mpho Ngoepe ◽  
Patrick Ngulube
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Deep Insight ◽  
Eastern And Southern Africa ◽  
Public Archives

Providing access and usage are the reason for existence of memory institutions such as archive repositories. Despite the importance of the visibility and accessibility of public archive repositories, various scholars concur that these repositories in eastern and southern Africa are not known and are accessed by few people. This chapter utilises the concept of soft power as a framework to examine the visibility and accessibility of public archives repositories in South Africa. A quantitative research approach utilising questionnaires, interviews, content analysis and the observation of landmarks were employed as data collection tools. The findings revealed that collaboration, especially with civil societies, is a key for successful public programming at the lowest cost. It concludes that the concept of soft power can provide deep insight and better understanding on how to develop inexpensive visibility programme, yet capable of attracting a large number of people in a sustainable manner.

Self-Objectification vs. African Conservative Features in the Selfies of Black African Women

2018 ◽  
pp. 103-130
Author(s):  
Endong Floribert Patrick Calvain
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
African Women ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Nigerian Women ◽  
Black African ◽  
Cultural Forces ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Self Objectification

Though popularly construed as a universal phenomenon, selfie taking is gendered and culturally determined. This could be evidenced by the fact that the two socio-cultural forces of conservatism and traditionalism continue to tremendously shape African women's style of taking and sharing selfies on social media. Based on a content analysis of 200 selfies generated and shared by Nigerian women on Facebook and Instagram, this chapter illustrates this reality. It argues that Nigerian women are generally more conservative than liberal in their use of selfies for self-presentation, self-imaging and self-expression in public spaces. Over 59% of their selfies have conservative features. However, despite the prevalence of conservative myths and gender related stereotypes in the Nigerian society, the phenomenon of nude or objectified selfies remains a clearly notable sub-culture among Nigerian women. Over 41% of Nigerian women's selfies contain such objectification features as suggestive postures; suggestive micro-expressions and fair/excessive nudity among others.

Paradoxical Payoffs: Migrant Women, Informal Sector Work, and Hiv/Aids in South Africa

2007 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gayatri Singh
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Informal Sector ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
African Women ◽  
Simultaneous Increase ◽  
Migrant Women ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Black African ◽  
Hiv Aids

In post-apartheid South Africa, there has been a significant rise in women's out-migration from rural areas and across its territorial borders for economic purposes resulting in gender reconfiguration of migration streams. Alongside, there has been a simultaneous increase in the participation of women in the labor force. However, this has mostly grown in the informal sector,1 which is often associated with low earnings and insecure working conditions. One consequence has been the increasing reliance of migrant women on survivalist activities such as informal sexual exchanges that increase their risk of contracting HIV infection. Insecure working environments also expose migrant women to sexual abuses. This article is based on the author's work in South Africa's major urban centers and examines the nature of the relationship between the increased migration of black African women in South Africa, the nature of their work, and their resultant vulnerability to HIV/AIDS.

scholarly journals An investigation of images of women : the development of an awareness campaign to boost self-esteem amongst South African women

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Anneli De Beer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Action Research ◽  
South African ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
African Women ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Action Research Approach ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
South African Women ◽  
Images Of Women

The aim of this study was to investigate how images of women in the media that espouse women’s empowerment can indeed have the opposite effect and may even contribute to lowered self-esteem in women. To this end, this project is intended to explore issues such as body image and image manufacture in order to find a possible answer to the question of what is ‘real beauty’ in the South African context. A semiotic approach seeking to review the ways in which women are seen through visual communicative images was undertaken. This visual research revealed the importance of the ‘gendered gaze’ at the centre of issues that relate to self-esteem. An in-depth analysis of the literature, pertaining to self-esteem, interrogated the works of Naomi Wolf, John Berger and Susie Orbach, amongst others. This was carried out in order to understand more about how the dictates of consumerism pervade the work of the style industries. These sectors are well supported by the diet, food and cosmetic surgery industries who tend to effectively increase and add to a sense of body related insecurities. In addition, content analysis of selected South African editions of Cosmopolitan magazine was conducted. The images described represents a significant development period in the emergence of certain beauty ideals in South Africa. The British Unilever marketing campaign, The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty, was used as a base model for the applied design component of this study. In addition an action research approach was employed through a series of interviews and questionnaires directed at mostly female participants in South Africa. This method revealed that self-esteem issues have far reaching implications, affecting women of all ages. As a response to the perceived need for a South African based campaign, this research project informed the development of The Sisterhood Self-Esteem Crusade. In contrast to The Dove Campaign For Real Beauty which was created to promote increased sales of beauty products, The Sisterhood Self-Esteem Crusade’s focus is to interrogate and raise awareness of self-esteem. Underpinning this was an attempt to build confidence, cascade new ways of understanding and to propagate sense making, informed through action research, amongst South African women.

scholarly journals Manager-Employee Relationships during Turbulent Times at a Gold Mine in South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6A) ◽  
pp. 81-88
Author(s):  
Cecile Schultz ◽  
Reulene Küsel
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Gold Mining ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Inductive Reasoning ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Plant Manager ◽  
Employee Relationships ◽  
Mining Plant

This article aims to provide new conceptual insights into the responsibilities of an engineer who acts as a plant manager and who has to deal with employee relations during a turbulent time at a gold mining plant in South Africa. A qualitative research approach was used to gather the data in this study. Trustworthiness of the research was ensured by applying various reasoning strategies, such as content analysis, inductive reasoning, blending, bracketing and understanding in order to interpret the data. The first group interview comprised managers as well as engineers who were appointed as managers, the second, administrative employees from the service departments, and the third, artisans and foremen employed at the mine. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the transcripts. The recurring themes from the group interviews were ‘employee empowerment’, ‘trust building’, ‘employee voice’ and ‘development of skills’. A conceptual framework for manager-employee relations during troubled times was developed from the findings. The essential responsibilities of a gold mining plant manager during periods of turbulence were described.

Self-Objectification vs. African Conservative Features in the Selfies of Black African Women

2018 ◽  
pp. 798-820
Author(s):  
Endong Floribert Patrick Calvain
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
African Women ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Nigerian Women ◽  
Black African ◽  
Cultural Forces ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Self Objectification

Though popularly construed as a universal phenomenon, selfie taking is gendered and culturally determined. This could be evidenced by the fact that the two socio-cultural forces of conservatism and traditionalism continue to tremendously shape African women's style of taking and sharing selfies on social media. Based on a content analysis of 200 selfies generated and shared by Nigerian women on Facebook and Instagram, this chapter illustrates this reality. It argues that Nigerian women are generally more conservative than liberal in their use of selfies for self-presentation, self-imaging and self-expression in public spaces. Over 59% of their selfies have conservative features. However, despite the prevalence of conservative myths and gender related stereotypes in the Nigerian society, the phenomenon of nude or objectified selfies remains a clearly notable sub-culture among Nigerian women. Over 41% of Nigerian women's selfies contain such objectification features as suggestive postures; suggestive micro-expressions and fair/excessive nudity among others.

Negotiating femininities on campus: Sexuality, gender and risk in an HIV environment

2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (8) ◽  
pp. 915-926 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deevia Bhana ◽  
Janet Pillay
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Sexual Risk ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Unwanted Pregnancy ◽  
Safe Sex ◽  
Female Students ◽  
African Women ◽  
Heterosexual Transmission ◽  
Physical Assault ◽  
Black African

Objective: In South Africa, Black African women between the ages of 15 and 24 years are especially vulnerable to HIV. The heterosexual transmission of the disease is exacerbated by social and cultural conditions that perpetuate gender relations of inequality. Problematic conceptualisations of femininity increase sexual risk. The objective of this article is to examine the ways in which undergraduate university Black African female students make meaning of gender and sexuality on campus and the social processes through which femininities are produced. Design: Qualitative research study. Setting: University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Method: In total, 10 in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 25 Black African undergraduate female students aged between 18 and 24 years old. Results: Campus life was conceived as a place of heterosexual freedom, sexual enjoyment and engagement with dating relationships. Relationships were forged based on romantic notions of love and versions of femininity based on trust lead to sexual risk and unwanted pregnancy. In the context of material inequalities, ‘sugar daddy’ relationships further limited female students’ ability to negotiate safe sex. The overall climate on campus was structured along gender power inequalities. Female students feared and were victims of verbal, physical assault and sexual coercion. The lack of campus security exacerbated female students’ vulnerability to violence on campus. Conclusion: Addressing the specific meanings expressed by Black African female students on campus can help to improve the effectiveness of campus-based health education interventions promoting safe sex, gender equality and student safety.

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