M.A. / The study purports to trace and analyse how African women used local structures in the 1950's and 1960's to seek redress against the policies of racial segregation. This study intends showing how African women have piloted local organisations during the period under review, how they resisted all attempts by the local municipal council to have women removed from the location and how women rejected the authority of the local boards. Protest movements and organisations, and the type of political activity women engaged in before the 1950's, have been largely ignored by the few writers who have considered the matter at all. This has resulted in the assumption that there were no women's activities prior to 1950. C. Kros wrote: "...(that) there is a general assumption that until the 1950's women were passive and took a back seat in all spheres except forone or two outbursts of activity, like for instance the resistance against the passes in the Free State in 1913." 3 The study purports to dispel the myth that African women were inactive prior to 1950: This study shows that the emergence of the squatter settlement in the late 1940's was spearheaded by African women who had nowhere to settle, except by pitching up shacks. By early 1940 urban workers found it increasingly difficult to obtain suitably priced residential accommodation as no new houses were built. The study will analyse how Sofasonke Mpanza, a member of the Orlando Advisory Board and the leader of the Sofasonke Mpanza Party, was able to win adherents to his party, the majority of whom were women and why African women in Orlando defied the Municipal Council's regulations and pitched up "shelters" which came to be known as the "Shanty Town".

The thesis examines how the social construction of African women in development discourse transformed from the 1970s to the 2000s, focusing in particular on the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). From the 1970s to the 1990s representations of African women were based on women’s economic potential. The mainstreaming of gender in the 1990s resulted in women being represented as agents of change. This approach gave women an opportunity to play roles in decision-making but led to policies that failed to challenge the established institutions. The emphasis on women as agents of change opened doors to some African women but with implications for the women’s movement. Only some middle-class women appear to benefit but their gains have been marginal in comparison to the gender inequalities that persist. The thesis uses secondary sources and interviews with development practitioners in Ottawa to understand the representation of African women as agents of change.

Thesis (LLD.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The private sector in South Africa lags in proliferating black African women into managerial positions. This is so despite the Employment Equity Act (EEA) requiring that the private sector must ensure that all occupational levels are equitably represented and reflects the demographics of South Africa. Since the EEA, the private sector has been white male-dominated and white females enjoy preference in terms of recruitment compared to black African women. Despite the legislative gaps in South Africa, the South African private sector demonstrates its unwillingness to transform it's by managerial positions by engaging in race-based recruitment, failing to train and develop black African women within the workplace, failing to create pipeline mechanisms into managerial positions and creating a workplace environment that caters for the needs and interest of women at leadership levels. The progression of black African women requires South Africa to adopt a quota system that will result in the private sector being compelled to appoint suitably qualified black African women. The EEA does require the private sector to apply affirmative action measures to achieve equity in the workplace. It is submitted that since 1998 the private sector has been provided with an opportunity to set their targets to achieve equity, 20 years later black African women are excluded in key managerial positions. Some private sector companies engage in fronting practices to obtain a Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) certificate that enables the company to do business with the State. Black African women who are appointed as a ‘front’ do not obtain the necessary experience in managerial levels and as such limits their economic participation. Exposing black African women in managerial levels enhances their skills and increases their prospects to promotions and assuming further leadership roles in the private sector. Without a clear, a quota law in South Africa, the South African private sector would not be persuaded to accelerate the equitable representation at its managerial positions. xiii

During my eight years of work in the communication department of an NGO based in Kampala I have undetaken several workshops organized by istitutional donors, such as USAID, on how to write what the aid sector calls stories of change.  Puzzled by the information and skills obtained in such context and the stories I have encounter and wrote during my job from one side, and on the other side acknowledging how novels helped me to navigate my feeling of disorientation while living and experiencing the Ugandan context; I have decided to embark in this research to better understand where the stories produced by INGOs and the contemporary literature differentiate.  This research involves shedding light on the differences, both in narrative construction and their impact on readers, between modern and significant literary works, like novels and stories originating from the aid industry (INGOs). To this end, the investigation embraces three distinct sources: the novels “We Need New Names” and “Americanah,” along with a concise web-based tale released by USAID. The ultimate goal of the research is to explore the power of storytelling in shaping collective imaginaries.  To unravel the interconnection between narrative potency and collective immaginaries, this study centers on the portrayal of Black Women. It draws upon the insights of Postcolonialism and Black Feminism, while exploring pivotal concepts such as Representation, Voice, and Stereotype. The study employs content analysis and reflect on complexity of character depiction. The findings reveal that well-crafted characters in literature can challenge stereotypes associated with African women. Characters like Darling (We Need New Names) and Ifemule (Aamericanah) are portrayed with depth and complexity, offering a comprehensive and multifaceted representation that defies monolithic stereotypes. In contrast, the character Aberu (USAID webstory) lacks such depth, perpetuating limited views of African women.  Furthermore, the research also highlights the potential of round characters to engage readers on multiple levels, prompting changes in perspective. Ultimately, the study concludes that storytelling has immense power to shape perceptions and calls for crafting narratives that promote inclusive and authentic portrayals of African women. The research enabled me to identify the differences between storytelling on Black women of the ‘development industry’ and storytelling on Black women in the literary field, opening a reflection on the importance to engage with narratives and media.  Differences highlighted the need for INGOs to reassess their storytelling methods. Drawing inspiration from contemporary African literature may provide valuable insights and strategies to foster more authentic, complex, and nuanced representations of Black women.

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The thesis examined the roles and contributions of Black women during the African ancient civilization by analyzing the lives, roles and contributions of Queen Hatshepsut and Nefertiti as case studies and interrogates how Black women positioned themselves as political, military and spiritual leaders during the age of antiquity. The argument is that African women were more involved as leaders in the affairs of their communities as compared to the contemporary times. By using African centered paradigms, Afrocentricity and juxtaposing robust anti-colonial and Black feminist thoughts, the thesis investigates and recreates systematic narratives of the past roles of African women at the very height of African civilization, discussed the changes in sex-gender roles and explained why contemporary women continue to experience difficulties in assessing position of leadership and resources. The study reproduces measured facts to confront the blurred roles and contributions of African women and situates it at the centre of education.

The thesis examined the roles and contributions of Black women during the African ancient civilization by analyzing the lives, roles and contributions of Queen Hatshepsut and Nefertiti as case studies and interrogates how Black women positioned themselves as political, military and spiritual leaders during the age of antiquity. The argument is that African women were more involved as leaders in the affairs of their communities as compared to the contemporary times. By using African centered paradigms, Afrocentricity and juxtaposing robust anti-colonial and Black feminist thoughts, the thesis investigates and recreates systematic narratives of the past roles of African women at the very height of African civilization, discussed the changes in sex-gender roles and explained why contemporary women continue to experience difficulties in assessing position of leadership and resources. The study reproduces measured facts to confront the blurred roles and contributions of African women and situates it at the centre of education.