scholarly journals A man's role as a head, a burden or a blessing? An exploration of the African and Christian perspectives on the conventional role of a male person

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rev. Jacob Mokhutso
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
High Unemployment Rate ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
First Time

In 2020, during a strict lockdown in South Africa, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country experienced an increase in gender-based violence (hereafter, GBV) cases perpetrated by men. Similar incidents occurred in August 2021, declared a women’s month in South Africa, as a tribute to the over 20,000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to protest against the extension of pass laws. Many scholars have tried to make sense of this, giving rise to diverse views about the causes of this phenomenon. Other scholars argue that men behave in this manner because of the high unemployment rate, as many businesses are struggling, due to a loss of revenue, as a result of COVID-19, and the government’s lockdown measures. Other perspectives from different quarters indicate that GBV is due to stress and many other mental conditions, as a South African dwindling economy has impacted on families and caused losses of jobs and businesses closing. This is not the first time that the country has experienced these high cases of GBV. Over the years, men have and continue to commit heinous crimes and abuse each other, as well as women and children. This raises a question: Is this violence not a reaction by men to their role as heads of families and their socialisation by the African culture and Christian religion that teaches men to be heads of their households? Secondary data methods were applied in this research. The research found that men are under enormous pressure to meet society’s expectations of them. That pressure has turned them into monsters who are not coping and instead kill themselves, their loved ones, or resort to violence.

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.

Evaluating government's communication strategy of the 16 Days of Activism campaign for No Violence Against Women and Children in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 219-241
Author(s):  
Mutambuli J. Hadji
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Violence Against Women ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovation ◽  
School Curriculum ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Gender Based

This article aims to evaluate government's communication strategy and citizens' awareness of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence against Women and Children campaign in Soshanguve, South Africa. The study applied the diffusion of innovation theory because of its ability to assess how communities receive communication about the campaign from various media. Survey method was used to collect data, which was analysed using descriptive statistics. It was found out that mass media and other communication channels were main sources of campaign messages, which help the community to know how to address gender-based violence issues. Notably, this study found that females were more likely to know about the campaign than males. This article recommends that this campaign should be visible throughout the year and there should be more campaigns targeting men, and school curriculum, which educate pupils about the social and economic consequences of GBV.

scholarly journals Gender-Based Violence In Bangladesh: A Critical Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 127-139
Author(s):  
Md. Abu Shahen
Keyword(s):  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physical Assault ◽  
Political Commitment ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Gender Based

This study tried to explore the current nature of gender-based violence and harassment in Bangladesh. Specifically, gender-related harassment and discrimination with violence against women and children have been explored throughout the study. However, the study is based on secondary data collected from gender-focused scholars and organizations. The data of ASK and BSAF have been used for critical analysis regarding violence, harassment, and discrimination against women and children in Bangladesh. As findings, the study found that the prevalence of domestic violence and oppression against wife and housemate including cleaner, housekeeping, and cooker have existed in the forms of torture, negligence, rape, forced rape, physical assault, and sexual assault. The study also found that women and girls are being harassed in transportation as they feel unsecured in movement through abusive and negative attitudes and behavior such as touching, closely standing, intentionally pushing, and gripping in shoulders, bad beckon and comment, and touching in the sensitive part of the body. It is also seen that the business environment is not favorable for women Entrepreneurs due to constraints social and cultural attitudes, lack of political commitment, and insufficient governmental provisions for establishing a women-friendly business environment.

scholarly journals Re-engineering imperatives to enhance the effectiveness of municipal public accounts committees in South African municipalities

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malefetsane A. Mofolo ◽  
Vuyo Adonis
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Local Government ◽  
South African ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
The State ◽  
Political Influences

Background: After 26 years into democracy and 20 years of the new local government operations, the state of the majority of municipalities in South Africa still leaves much to be desired, as they are plagued with maleficence. What is concerning is that these negative tendencies that are troubling local government occur even under the watchful eye of the municipal public accounts committees (MPACs).Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the composition and the role of MPACs, which have experienced a number of challenges since they were introduced in response to the widely held perception of the culture of lack of accountability in South African municipalities.Methods: This article is theoretical in nature, and it draws its arguments from secondary data in order to understand the composition and the role of MPACs, including its challenges.Results: This study regards the composition of the MPAC as lacking the necessary vigour to be efficient and effective in executing its duties, particularly when considering the challenges and political influences that it tends to face in its operations.Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a need for re-engineering of the composition and the role of the MPAC in order to ensure that it executes its functions efficiently and effectively. Consequently, the study recommends three cardinal pillars that must be given attention in re-engineering the MPAC: policy, authority and power.

A Growing Outcry of Gender-based Violence and Gender Inequality in South Africa : An Afrocentric Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 7-24
Author(s):  
M.C. Moreroa ◽  
M.B. Rapanyane
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Gender Inequality ◽  
African Women ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
South African Women ◽  
Global World

The two practices of gender inequality and gender-based violence (GBV) are not peculiar to South Africans, as they also affect the African continent and the Global world in different shapes and forms. Whatever happens, when these two unacceptable behaviours and/ practices take form, women often end up being discriminated, sidelined and violated. Against this backdrop, this paper analyses the state of gender inequality and GBV in South Africa and finds common features which exist between the two. The central narrative of this paper is that the two notions are, at a very faster pace, becoming subjects of considerable debate and concern. This paper argues that the two notions have depressing effects on South African women. Afrocentricity is adopted in this paper in order to relevantly and positionally reflect on the central objective.

The Plight of Women and Children

2014 ◽  
Vol 652 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Bower
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Women ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Education Justice

Despite South Africa having ratified several international and regional women’s and children’s rights treaties, and having one of the most admired constitutions in the world, the plight of women and children after 20 years of democracy remains, in many respects, dire—especially in rural communities. South Africa is a deeply conservative and patriarchal society, with high levels of violence in general and gender-based violence in particular. It has failed to create sufficient employment opportunities and to sustainably address intergenerational poverty, the latter of which impacts most severely rural women and children. HIV/AIDS has wreaked its most adverse effects on women and children. This context is exacerbated by breakdowns in the health, education, justice, and security sectors; the relative inaccessibility of services (such as health care, schooling, and housing); and the frequently poor quality of services when they are available.

scholarly journals Contribution of support and incentive programs to entrepreneurial orientation and start-up culture in South Africa

2003 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 514-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Pretorius ◽  
Jurie Van Vuuren
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
African Culture ◽  
Target Groups ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Culture ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Key Issues

This paper discussed the role of an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and start-up culture to enhance economic development. It investigates the proposition that the South African culture is conducive to EO. Secondly, this paper investigates the available programs from an entrepreneurial culture perspective. Programs are categorised to delineate their different focuses. Key issues reported include the program focus, the level of venture development aimed at and their target groups. Finally it questions the contribution of these programs to entrepreneurial culture and suggests remedies. The paper concludes that despite the number of different programs that exist, the concept of entrepreneurial culture to improve EO is not addressed.

scholarly journals Editorial

Screen Bodies ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. v-xviii
Author(s):  
Brian Bergen-Aurand
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Violent Crime ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
The South ◽  
Running Pattern ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
The One

This cover of Screen Bodies features a photograph by Collen Mfazwe entitled “Love Has No Gender, Race or Sexuality. Boitumelo and Collen. (August 2017).” Mfazwe lives in Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa, and is a photographer at the South African platform Inkanyiso (Zulu for “the one who brings light”). In “Love Has No Gender,” we find a summary of Mfazwe’s response to South Africa’s drastically high rate of violent crime against womxn, lesbians, and bisexual and trans folk, a long-running pattern of gender-based violence that she confronts in a series she has been developing since 2017 called Imizimba (Bodies).

Genealogy of Gender-Based Violence in South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 29-46
Author(s):  
Hannah E. Britton
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
South African ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Poverty And Inequality ◽  
Real Material ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Material Conditions ◽  
Contemporary Climate

Explanations for gender-based violence often lead to myopic discussions of an elusive, almost mythical “culture” that implies that gender-based violence has always been and may always be part of society. These problematic notions of culture eclipse the very real material conditions and power structures that shape contexts of violence. This chapter stands in contrast to the idea that gender-based violence is “cultural.” South African service providers instead understand gender-based violence as existing within larger contexts of power and inequality. Service providers argue that gender-based violence is ensconced in the violence of poverty and inequality that were fostered by apartheid, in the slow violence of neoliberalism, and in the contemporary climate of xenophobia, substance abuse, and sexual entitlement.

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