Political Resistance and Citizenship Agency: Exploring the Experiences of Black African Zimbabwean and South African Women

Politeia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Belinda Maswikwa ◽  
Amanda Gouws ◽  
Sarah Frances Gordon
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
African Women ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Political Resistance ◽  
Black African ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Resistance Strategies ◽  
Everyday Resistance ◽  
South African Women

This article addresses how marginalised black African women in South Africa and Zimbabwe understand themselves as citizens, express agency and practise political resistance. Little research has been done on this topic in Southern Africa, especially in Zimbabwe, making this study particularly relevant. Literature relating to citizenship, agency and the political resistance of women in non-Western society is also discussed. Focus is placed on a case study analysis of women who live in Zimbabwean and South African townships and who self-identify as members of the Ndebele and Zulu ethnic groups respectively. In-depth interviews, which consisted of closed and open-ended questions, were conducted with these women, and each participant also completed a form requiring them to provide socio-demographic information. Content and relational analysis was used to analyse the responses of the participants. The results indicated that these black African women participated politically in invented spaces that typically exist outside of the public political sphere. The women use everyday resistance strategies to negotiate their relationship with the state. These resistance strategies were found to be framed in terms of the women’s daily economic struggles and the structural challenges they faced.

Women helping women: outcomes of a South African pilot project

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Verwey
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Gender Equity ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
African Women ◽  
Growth Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Successful Women ◽  
South African Women ◽  
Skills Shortages

PurposeThis paper reviews how women help women in the South African Women in Construction (SAWIC) organization to effectively participate in projects. In a pilot project partnering with industry stakeholders, the Development Bank of Southern Africa as incubator of SAWIC, further explored what support women contractors required to succeed, tested mentoring and coaching as part of enterprise development.Design/methodology/approachRelevant literature were studied and analysed, testing the views and measure of success of women contractors against existing models. A survey instrument was developed to test the constructs empirically.FindingsThe empirical testing of success as a construct indicated that women overwhelmingly view mentoring and coaching as key capacity building and growth strategies towards successful women‐owned construction enterprises, underpinned by preliminary indications of the almost complete pilot study.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation to the study is that it is based on preliminary findings and limited scope of the civil project.Practical implicationsGiven the excellent results of the Cronbach α and factor analysis, the instrument developed proved to be reliable and valid and could be used for similar studies.Originality/valueKnowledge sharing of lessons learnt in the joint initiative between government, the building industry, development finance institutions and women associations towards addressing critical skills shortages and gender equity.

THE SINS OF THE FATHER: GENDER- BASED VIOLENCE IN POST-APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 57-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn Snodgrass
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Black Women ◽  
South African ◽  
African Women ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Political Issues ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
South African Women

This article explores the complexities of gender-based violence in post-apartheid South Africa and interrogates the socio-political issues at the intersection of class, ‘race’ and gender, which impact South African women. Gender equality is up against a powerful enemy in societies with strong patriarchal traditions such as South Africa, where women of all ‘races’ and cultures have been oppressed, exploited and kept in positions of subservience for generations. In South Africa, where sexism and racism intersect, black women as a group have suffered the major brunt of this discrimination and are at the receiving end of extreme violence. South Africa’s gender-based violence is fuelled historically by the ideologies of apartheid (racism) and patriarchy (sexism), which are symbiotically premised on systemic humiliation that devalues and debases whole groups of people and renders them inferior. It is further argued that the current neo-patriarchal backlash in South Africa foments and sustains the subjugation of women and casts them as both victims and perpetuators of pervasive patriarchal values.

Longitudinal telomere length profile does not reflect HIV and childhood trauma impacts on cognitive function in South African women

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Samantha Womersley ◽  
Georgina Spies ◽  
Gerard Tromp ◽  
Soraya Seedat ◽  
Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
South African ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
African Women ◽  
South African Women

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.

scholarly journals Understanding and responding to HIV risk in young South African women: Clinical perspectives

2015 ◽  
Vol 105 (11) ◽  
pp. 952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Dellar ◽  
Aliza Waxman ◽  
Quarraisha Abdool Karim
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Hiv Risk ◽  
African Women ◽  
South African Women

ISH NIA PS 03-08 THE ROLE OF BODY FAT AND FAT DISTRIBUTION IN HYPERTENSION RISK IN URBAN BLACK SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. e283
Author(s):  
Cindy George ◽  
Julia Goedecke ◽  
Nigel Crowther ◽  
Nicole Jaff ◽  
Andre Kengne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Fat Distribution ◽  
African Women ◽  
Black South African ◽  
Hypertension Risk ◽  
South African Women
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