WOMEN’S RELATIONSHIPS: FEMALE FRIENDSHIP IN TONI MORRISON’S SULA AND LOVE, MARIAMA BA’S SO LONG A LETTER AND SEFI ATTA’S EVERYTHING GOOD WILL COME by KADIDIA SY Under the Direction of Renée Schatteman, Chris Kocela and Margaret Harper ABSTRACT This study analyzes female friendship in four novels written by black diasporic women and examines the impact of race, class and gender on women’s relationships. The novels emphasize how women face the challenges of patriarchal institutions and other attempts to subjugate then through polygamy, neo-colonialism, constraints of tradition, caste prejudice, political instability and the Biafra war. This dissertation uses characterization and plot analysis to explore the different stories and messages the novels portray. As findings this study foregrounds the healing powers of female bonding, which allows women to overcome prejudice and survive, to enjoy female empowerment, and to extend female friendship into female solidarity that participates in nation building. However, another conclusion focuses on the power of patriarchy which constitutes a threat to female bonding and usually causes women’s estrangement. INDEX WORDS: Women’s relationships, Female friendship, Female bonding, Sisterhood, Female solidarity, Female Empowerment

My thesis explores the effect of tourism and the opportunities it is providing for Nepalese women who are actively looking for waged, high skilled, high status employment. These jobs include but are not limited to trekking guides, hotel/guesthouse managers, and upper level management positions, both within and outside of the tourism sector. I am focusing on women whose education and skill levels enable them to seek jobs above low skill, low status employment, such as farm workers and low level clerical staff. I am studying the shifts in Nepalese society that enable a specific market to emerge for participation for educated and ambitious women, and if such a shift is happening, whether or not Nepalese women are taking advantage of this opportunity to lead the way toward gender equity.

This quantitative study aims to investigate mechanisms for female empowerment in the context of conflict by examining whether a female entry into armed rebel, insurgent and terrorist movements can lead to an increase of women represented in politics. Three different hypotheses for the relationship are set: that the effect is positive, that the effect is negative and that there is no effect at all. The study argues that one possible mechanism for the relationship is that female rebels become role models for other women when entering the male dominated domain of a rebel movement. These women disrupt and question existing gender hierarchies and ideas of what it means to be a woman. By expanding the idea of what women are capable of doing, these women could inspire other women to enter other male dominated spheres, such as decision-making domains in politics, and hence gain political power. The method for examining this possible mechanism is OLS linear regression between the dependent variable women in parliament and the independent variable women in rebel movements. The result found is that there is a significant positive effect, meaning that the prevalence of women in rebel movements do actually affect the prevalence of women in politics in post- or present- conflict countries around the world. The conclusion is therefore that, at least in militarized societies, women as a group can become empowered when some women enter male dominated spheres as this believably unties the traditional idea of the capabilities of women.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-05-05T12:24:34Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertacão_Silverli.pdf: 1555473 bytes, checksum: 0c87e236a32ee5e6abcab39df339dd35 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-05T12:24:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertacão_Silverli.pdf: 1555473 bytes, checksum: 0c87e236a32ee5e6abcab39df339dd35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-12 / O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a percepção das beneficiárias do Programa Mulheres Mil acerca do efeito do programa sobre empoderamento feminino. O estudo contextualiza a equidade de gênero e toma como base o conceito e as dimensões de empoderamento psicológica, econômica e legal/política/social. Propõe-se um desenho qualitativo e como instrumento de coleta de dados entrevistas semi-estruturada com 19 mulheres concluintes dos cursos do Programa Mulheres Mil nos Campus Cuiabá – Bela Vista e São Vicente do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Mato Grosso (IFMT), nas cidades de Cuiabá e Jaciara no período compreendido entre 2011 a 2013. A fim de edificar a percepção de empoderamento utilizamos análise de conteúdo com auxílio do software NVivo. Os resultados indicam que na percepção das mulheres beneficiárias do programa, o Mulheres Mil não apresentou efeito sobre o empoderamento feminino. Este trabalho tem o potencial de: (1) contribuir com a teoria de forma a subsidiar pesquisa científica em relação às políticas públicas e sobre empoderamento feminino; (2) fornecer subsídios para a melhoria do programa e contribuir com os processos de tomada de decisão. / The objective of this research is to analyze the perception of the beneficiaries of the Thousand Women Program of the effect of female empowerment on program. The study contextualizes gender equality and builds on the concept and dimensions of psychological empowerment, legal and economic / political / social. We propose a qualitative design and how data collection semi-structured interviews instrument with 19 graduating women of the Thousand Women Program courses in Campus Cuiabá - Bela Vista and Sao Vicente Federal Institute of Education, Science and Mato Grosso Technology (IFMT), in the cities of Cuiabá and Jaciara the period from 2011 to 2013. In order to build the perception of empowerment used content analysis using NVivo software. The results indicate that the perception of women beneficiaries of the program, the Thousand Women had no effect on female empowerment. This work has the potential to: (1) to contribute to the theory in order to support scientific research in relation to public policies and on women's empowerment; (2) provide subsidies to improve the program and contribute to the decision-making processes.

Submitted by Fabio Sobreira Campos da Costa (fabio.sobreira@ufpe.br) on 2017-05-05T12:34:22Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertacão_Silverli.pdf: 1555473 bytes, checksum: 0c87e236a32ee5e6abcab39df339dd35 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-05T12:34:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) Dissertacão_Silverli.pdf: 1555473 bytes, checksum: 0c87e236a32ee5e6abcab39df339dd35 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-12 / O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a percepção das beneficiárias do Programa Mulheres Mil acerca do efeito do programa sobre empoderamento feminino. O estudo contextualiza a equidade de gênero e toma como base o conceito e as dimensões de empoderamento psicológica, econômica e legal/política/social. Propõe-se um desenho qualitativo e como instrumento de coleta de dados entrevistas semi-estruturada com 19 mulheres concluintes dos cursos do Programa Mulheres Mil nos Campus Cuiabá – Bela Vista e São Vicente do Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Mato Grosso (IFMT), nas cidades de Cuiabá e Jaciara no período compreendido entre 2011 a 2013. A fim de edificar a percepção de empoderamento utilizamos análise de conteúdo com auxílio do software NVivo. Os resultados indicam que na percepção das mulheres beneficiárias do programa, o Mulheres Mil não apresentou efeito sobre o empoderamento feminino. Este trabalho tem o potencial de: (1) contribuir com a teoria de forma a subsidiar pesquisa científica em relação às políticas públicas e sobre empoderamento feminino; (2) fornecer subsídios para a melhoria do programa e contribuir com os processos de tomada de decisão. / The objective of this research is to analyze the perception of the beneficiaries of the Thousand Women Program of the effect of female empowerment on program. The study contextualizes gender equality and builds on the concept and dimensions of psychological empowerment, legal and economic / political / social. We propose a qualitative design and how data collection semi-structured interviews instrument with 19 graduating women of the Thousand Women Program courses in Campus Cuiabá - Bela Vista and Sao Vicente Federal Institute of Education, Science and Mato Grosso Technology (IFMT), in the cities of Cuiabá and Jaciara the period from 2011 to 2013. In order to build the perception of empowerment used content analysis using NVivo software. The results indicate that the perception of women beneficiaries of the program, the Thousand Women had no effect on female empowerment. This work has the potential to: (1) to contribute to the theory in order to support scientific research in relation to public policies and on women's empowerment; (2) provide subsidies to improve the program and contribute to the decision-making processes.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:38:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Cortez MB 2006.pdf: 1285294 bytes, checksum: e35c1c8eadef90096778109e4666d11d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este estudo investigou o modo como concepções e práticas de gênero atuam na manifestação de conflitos conjugais que resultam em violência física, psicológica ou sexual do marido contra sua companheira. Foram entrevistados individualmente quatro casais, que tinham registro policial de ocorrência de agressão física do marido contra sua parceira e histórico de violência conjugal, utilizando-se um instrumento com duas partes: a primeira recolheu dados sócio-demográficos dos entrevistados e a segunda, composta por um roteiro de entrevista, investigou as concepções dos participantes sobre homem, mulher e relacionamento conjugal. Os dados foram organizados através da utilização do software Alceste (Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d um Ensemble de Segments de Texte) e da Análise de Conteúdo. Os resultados demonstraram a concordância entre os cônjuges em dois pontos relevantes: a) concepções tradicionais de gênero que guiam as práticas domésticas e também o relacionamento do casal e, b) compreensão de que as ocorrências de violência são decorrentes da busca dos maridos pelo controle dos comportamentos das esposas, entendidos por eles como errados ou inadequados. Esses comportamentos têm em comum o fato de ameaçarem o padrão hegemônico de masculinidade e negarem, de algum modo, a concepção tradicional e naturalizada de mulher, como o acesso ao ambiente público por meio do trabalho assalariado. As esposas detalharam o contexto dos episódios de violência, os tipos de agressões (física, psicológica e/ou sexual) e seus prejuízos físicos e emocionais. Já os homens negaram a ocorrência de violência sexual e minimizaram as agressões físicas e suas conseqüências, descrevendo as brigas como eventos com poucas ou efêmeras implicações para a esposa e seu relacionamento. Os resultados foram discutidos com base em dois conceitos principais, masculinidade hegemônica e empoderamento feminino, ressaltando-se a reação violenta dos maridos entrevistados frente aos sinais de autonomia de suas esposas e questões relativas ao prejuízo masculino e feminino ocasionado pela exclusão do homem das discussões sobre o empoderamento feminino. / This study investigates how gendering conceptions and practices affect couples conflicts and husband s physical, psychological or sexual violence against his partner. Four couples, which have police report of physical aggression perpetrated by husbands against their wives and an history of this kind of violence, were individually interviewed, based on a two-section instrument: the first part collected participant s socio-demographic data and, the second one, an interview script, aimed to investigate the participants conceptions about man, woman and couple relationship. Data were analyzed by using software Alceste (Analyse Lexicale par Contexte d um Ensemble de Segments de Texte) and Content Analysis. Results demonstrated the agreement between husbands and wives about two relevant points: a) traditional gender conceptions which guide domestic practices and the couple relationship and, b) comprehension that violence episodes result of husbands attempt to control female behaviors they understand as wrong or inadequate. These behaviors have in common the fact they threat the hegemonic model of masculinity and deny, someway, the traditional and naturalized conception of women, as the access to public domain as a result of paid work. Wives detailed the violence contexts, types of aggression (physical, psychological and/or sexual) and physical and emotional injuries. On the other hand, husbands denied occurrences of sexual violence and minimized physical aggressions and their consequences by describing fights as episodes of little or ephemeral implications to their wives and relationships. Results were discussed based on two main concepts, hegemonic masculinity and female empowerment, emphasizing the violent reactions of the interviewed husbands when in confront with their wives signs of autonomy and approaches to male and female prejudices occasioned by man s exclusion from debates about female empowerment.

This qualitative study investigates the incorporation of female empowerment discourses in Swedish lifestyle influencer Bianca Ingrosso’s YouTube vlogs. The aim of the study is to gain a better understanding of what it means to be a feminist in the current Swedish media moment, where the influencer industry is a commonly found subject for debates concerning the tensions between feminism and postfeminism. By critically analyzing the postfeminist expressions of female empowerment in influencers’ social media presence, the study problematizes the neoliberal feminism embraced by influencers like Ingrosso, whose feminist alignment mainly appears in promotional content for beauty and fashion products. A critical discourse analysis is performed, utilizing Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, in order to examine the ways in which Ingrosso utilizes and reinforces postfeminist discourses in her role as influencer. The study is performed through a feminist perspective, supported by feminist and postfeminist literature, using feminist media theory and field theory complemented by theory on gender and erotic capitals to examine the material. The analysis show that Ingrosso, through the social and financial capital that she holds as an influencer in a feminized space, is empowered. The postfeminist discourse allows her to maintain an influential position, as her physical attributes and encouragement of hegemonic femininity through consumption align with the neoliberal gender norms and expectations that structure the advertisement field in which influencers function. However, as it is the capitalist structures that allow influencer like Ingrosso to commodify their social media presence, the female empowerment that she promotes is in no way contributing to the efforts of the feminist movement.

The village-based microfinance approach Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) has been implemented in developing countries for three decades, and is found to be an effective tool in alleviating poverty and facilitating access to financial services in rural areas.  This study, done in collaboration with Vi Agroforestry, aimed to investigate the impact of VSLA activities on female empowerment in Rwanda, and more specifically, how women's access to and control over assets have been affected by VSLA participation. The term 'female empowerment' refers to the process by which women gain control and power over their own life situations and their ability to make strategic choices, that is, the capacity to turn choices into desired actions and outcomes.  A qualitative methodology has been used, where the main data collection consisted of six individual interviews with VSLA staff responsible for implementing, monitoring and evaluating VSLA groups in six different districts, and two focus group interviews with female VSLA participants in two different districts, carried out during April and May 2021.  The findings show that VSLA participation significantly accelerates the process of female empowerment in both household and community domains for women in Rwanda and that VSLA is an efficient first step in moving from a marginalised position in the society. However, women are still in many cases restricted from claiming all potential benefits from VSLA participation by structures that dictate normative gender roles and power structures. The findings highlight the importance of continued gender-related and financial training in order to further increase female access to and control over resources through VSLAs.

The purpose of this thesis is to problematize the concept of femininity and examine how feminine stereotypes are avoided by Vi in Arcane: League of Legends. I argue that Vi provides an empowering representation of women because her nuanced character reflects realistic, lived experiences. Furthermore, I argue that Vi’s ability to empower those around her is what makes her a truly strong female character rather than her physical strength. This is achieved with the application of feminist and gender theory, most notably, the theories of Judith Butler and Simone de Beauvoir.

This thesis studies the relationship between a skewed sex ratio and female empowerment in India. The study uses cross-sectional survey data from 2015-16, defining empowerment with an index that compiles questions directed toward women regarding if they have been subjected to violence and violations by their husbands or partners. We investigate if there is a negative relationship between sex ratio and the empowerment index by examining previous studies as well as conducting a multivariable regression analysis. The results show a statistically significant negative relationship at the 5% significance level when controlling for son preference, wealth index, education, habit of reading the news, and identification as Hindu and Muslim respectively. Furthermore, we find that a negative correlation persists when separately performing the regression for the wealth index levels “middle” and “richer”. Although statistically significant, the coefficients are relatively small and the economic significance of the results is hence debatable.