Abused women are reluctant to seek help despite the existence of enabling legislation. An exploratory qualitative study was conducted with 17 abused women in shelters, to understand the personal, socio-cultural, structural and institutional factors that influenced help-seeking. Feminist standpoint theories were influential in the research design, methodology and analysis of this study because it provided participants with the power to define their experiences from wi thin their own context. Four key themes that deterred help-seeking emerged. First, the predominance of patriarchy at the structural level emerged as an important theme that was enacted through men controlling women's freedom of speech, association and movement. Second, at the socio-culturallevel, discourses of love and the best interests of the child played a role in promoting the stability of the family above women's safety. Third, women sought help from informal networks of support, which sent them back to abusive relationships because of their acquiescence with patriarchy and socio-cultural constructions that normalised and privatised abuse. As a consequence of the inaction of informal networks, the psychosocial or personal consequences of abuse were exacerbated and women did not consider utilising formal services. This was compounded by a lack of financial resources. Fourth, at the institutional level, when abused women presented at health settings for medical concerns, they remained undetected or who were sent back to the abusive relationship. Rarely did medical services refer women to social services. Women obtained referrals to shelters from other women and community services many years after first experiencing abuse. Abused women were positive about the role shelters played in their empowerment. VI ••• im •••••• ~~~~~~~--------------- I A significant insight of this study is the way in which women attained empowerment and sought help by reconstructing the socio-cultural discourses that contributed to their oppression into the tools for agency. Women utilised legitimated socio-cultural discourses to justify seeking help, since challenging the status quo directly was too costly. Policy and practice need to target the personal, socio-cultural, institutional and structural impediments to seeking assistance, in order to prevent further violence, improve mental health outcomes and facilitate formal help-seeking.

Thesis (M. Ed. (Community and Continuing Education)) -- University of Limpopo, 2014 / The purpose of this study was to investigate the survival strategies used by unemployed rural women in Calais village. The study was conducted at Calais village in Maruleng Municipality in the Limpopo Province. The aim of the study was to investigate the survival strategies used by unemployed rural women at Calais Village. In order to achieve the aims outline above, I have formulated the following research question:  What are the survival strategies used by unemployed rural women at Calais village? With the study I wanted answers to the above question so that the department of social welfare can help in investigating further how unemployed rural women survive. In order to answer the question above, I decided to conduct a qualitative research by doing fieldwork at Calais village. I will also discuss about how to identify unemployed rural women, causes of unemployment and the challenges women from rural areas are faced with. I will also discuss the history of education in South Africa. In chapter two I outlined the theoretical framework of the study. The following key concepts were defined: unemployment, empowerment, social exclusion, strategy, and social grant. From the relevant literatures, I found out that the issue of survival strategies used by the unemployed rural women need to be taken into consideration. I also defined the following concepts, unemployment, empowerment, social exclusion, strategy, and social grants. The study found that unemployed rural women are surviving from child grants and hand-outs, food security, subsistence farming, EPWP and street vendor. Chapter three has to do with the design of the study. The main focus was to discuss i the fieldwork as a track I used for data collection. The fieldwork track was divided into four phases of data collection. I gave an explanation and discussion of the instruments that were utilised when the data was collected from the different role play players in various phases of data collection. The data was analysed by using qualitative method. I concluded the chapter by discussing the stages of data collection. In chapter four I presented the findings of the study. The strategies that might be useful for unemployed rural women to survive were discussed. I have also outlined in detail the views of the interviewees in relation to the assumptions of this study. I concluded the chapter discussing the findings of the observations based on the study. I also discussed about issues to be considered in ethical considerations. In the final chapter which is chapter five I presented the final conclusion and recommendations of the study. I also discussed about the recommendations for further studies. In the chapter I further integrated the information from the previous chapters in discussing the survival strategies that can be employed by unemployed rural women. I concluded the chapter by discussing the reflections, which are to do with my difficulties and learning experiences when I conducted the research.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work)) --University of Limpopo, 2012 / Refer to document / Financial Aid of the University of Limpopo