Microfinance encompasses a broad range of financial services targeted at low income individuals seeking to build income and assets. There has been extensive research on the role of microfinance institutions (henceforth “MFIs”) in developing countries on poverty reduction, particularly for female clients. In contrast, research on MFIs operating within the United States is more limited. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature and is one the first to focus on the impact of an MFI on female clients in the US using data from a Philadelphia-based MFI. The study examined the factors affecting outcomes of female entrepreneurs as compared to their male counterparts measured by changes in financial capability, repayment history, household incomes, and sustainability. Although the study does not statistically support the existence of differences between the outcomes for female and male clients of the MFI, the data does indicate positive outcomes for the clients. The business survival rates on average are above national indicators. The personal credit scores for MFI clients reflect improvement subsequent to receiving loans. This study utilized survey instruments and a focus group study to identify barriers to the success of female entrepreneurs. Noted barriers such as lack of access to capital, lack of relevant business knowledge provide a foundation for future research study. / Business Administration/International Business Administration

This study aims to understand how, and if, women use smartphones to enhance their safety when out of the home. Proven safety is difficult to measure, especially through a cross-sectional study; this research will assess how and if women feel safer through adapting how they use their smartphone. The primary research is predominately focused on gathering data from within the UK to understand and assess smartphone behaviours there and the impact these behaviours have on safety.  Existing research also focuses on the UK but takes lessons and development findings from across the globe to be applied as a proxy to the study and to better inform the research in the wider communication for development spectrum.   The key questions being addressed are to understand if women feel their safety is enhanced using their smartphone and if so, how they think this safety is being improved by using their smartphone. The final question addresses how these issues are answered and how communication could be enhanced to promote future safety developments within the sphere of women’s physical safety.    Data was conducted through carrying out primary research through quantitative online surveys and qualitative focus groups. The first offered robust data collection for men and women across age ranges, the second enabled for more detailed finding to be uncovered. This research was carried out in the UK (which is the initial focus of the study); this was a practical approach in terms of geographical location and language barriers, but in follow up analysis, it was also possible to find UK specific information on both smartphone usage and women’s safety. This resulted in there being a range of data to work with and analyse. This was useful to then apply comdev theories to and understand potential ways existing approaches could be developed and utilised around the world. Existing literature within the fields of women’s safety and smartphone usage was assessed to glean a more robust understanding and worldly viewpoint. Theoretical themes were addressed through literature research.    The results indicated that women were wary of their physical environments and adjusted or adapted their behaviours through their smartphone usage more so than men did to improve their safety   As this can be considered a broad and complex topic, there are several theories incorporated. For many women across the globe, the digital revolution, and smartphones, have acted as a means of empowerment. They enable humans to connect with one another regardless of where they are. For women, this has had a massive impact on safety by being able to quickly connect with other, they used messaging options with selected friends/family to notify their whereabouts to enhance their safety, others chose location sharing apps; both of which tie in with the idea of an invited space (Tufte); in this case a virtual space of safety, where the outside physical space may pose as danger. To coincide with this, many of the apps mentioned work through participatory methods, whereby users opt in to improve their safety and the safety of others.

This study explores the representation of women in Chinese "Femvertising" (female empowerment video advertisements) and the post-feminist discourse conveyed within these advertisements over the past five years. By examining recent Chinese video commercials, the research aims to critically analyze the ideologies behind female empowerment advertisements in China, shedding light on how advertising both shapes and reflects societal values. Employing a qualitative research methodology, the study uses thematic analysis to uncover the underlying messages, narratives, and ideologies. The findings reveal a shift toward depicting women in diversified and empowered roles, emphasizing authenticity and emotional connection. Three key thematic discourses—Body Self-Acceptance, Breaking Stereotypes, and Girl’s Power—are identified. However, the study also highlights that many empowerment advertisements are primarily marketing tools rather than genuine support for women's rights, often excluding broader spectrums of women and reinforcing certain stereotypes

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:37:58Z (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 study examines the construction of the image of K-pop female idol groups and the presentation of postfeminist discourses through a critical discourse analysis of three official documentaries of three K-pop female groups: Blackpink: Light Up the Sky (2020), Mamamoo: Where Are We Now (2022), and Twice: Seize the Light (2020). The study aims to explore how these documentaries present K-pop idols on/off stage and how the K-pop industry employs postfeminist discourses to construct femininity and female empowerment. The study addresses the following research questions: how do the three documentaries construct the image of K-pop female idol groups? In what ways do the documentaries demonstrate elements of postfeminist discourse? By looking at the concept of girl crush in K- pop culture, the study found that the three groups presented the image of girl crush in different ways and to varying degrees, with traits such as self-confidence, power, and sexuality. Blackpink’s double image of strong and powerful onstage and innocent and cute off-stage reflects both traditional and modern expectations of women. Mamamoo’s documentary highlights bold sexual expression and diverse gender representation, situating them as icons of postfeminist empowerment. Twice’s documentary emphasizes authenticity and an affective connection with their fandom. Despite these narratives of empowerment, the analysis also reveals underlying gender inequalities in the K-pop industry, where female idols have limited influence and the industry remains male-dominated. The study contributes to an understanding of K-pop culture and its gender representations, highlighting the tension between empowerment and traditional gender norms.

En los últimos años, empresas de diferentes rubros han estado abordando una estrategia comunicacional en donde se valora y respeta a la mujer en todos los ámbitos. Uno de estos rubros es el de belleza, en especial el de maquillaje, el cual poco a poco está dejando de lado los cánones de belleza, estereotipos impuestos por la sociedad que aún siguen latentes, para empoderarlas y llenarlas de valor para afrontar al mundo, demostrando la verdadera belleza de una mujer, la interna, capaz de comerse al mundo con su seguridad y con su personalidad. Es pues, que, con este trabajo, veremos cómo es que, a través del maquillaje, que ha sido entendido como una disciplina superficial, y por lo tanto no tan analizado académicamente, podría contribuir al empoderamiento femenino. En el presente trabajo se analizarán el discurso de la belleza de la campaña de Avon, “La Belleza es libre”, lo que nos dará pie a identificar cuáles son elementos del empoderamiento femenino y como la belleza forma parte de este discurso en la publicidad de cosmética. Para ello, se realizará una investigación cualitativa, ya que nuestra tesis se basa en percepciones e interpretaciones, por los cuales, para obtener información relevante para responder a nuestros objetivos, se utilizará la técnica de entrevistas a profundidad. Los principales hallazgos de la investigación, fueron cómo tanto la belleza física e interna, en conjunto, empoderan a las mujeres, y la percepción de cómo es visto el empoderamiento femenino en el discurso publicitario a través de una mirada más inclusiva, que podría conllevar a un mejor enganche de consumidor a marca. / In recent years, companies in different fields have been addressing a communication strategy where women are valued and respected in all areas. One of these items is beauty, especially makeup, which little by little is leaving aside the canons of beauty, stereotypes imposed by society that are still latent, to empower them and fill them with courage to face the world, demonstrating the true beauty of a woman, the intern, capable of eating the world with her security and her personality. It is therefore that, with this work, we will see how it is that, through makeup, which has been understood as a superficial discipline, and therefore not so academically analyzed, it could contribute to female empowerment. In this paper, the beauty discourse of Avon's campaign, "Beauty is free" will be analyzed, which will give us the opportunity to identify which are elements of female empowerment and how beauty is part of this discourse in the advertising of cosmetic. For this, a qualitative investigation will be carried out, since our thesis is based on perceptions and interpretations, for which, to obtain relevant information to answer our objectives, the in-depth interview technique will be used. The main findings of the research were how both physical and internal beauty, together, empower women, and the perception of how female empowerment is seen in advertising discourse through a more inclusive perspective, which could lead to a better hook from consumer to brand. / Trabajo de investigación

Esta investigación busca analizar la percepción sobre el uso del movimiento social body positive en la estrategia de femvertising de la marca Forever 21 Perú en Instagram, entre un grupo de jóvenes estudiantes de universidades privadas entre dieciocho y veinte años, pertenecientes a un nivel socioeconómico medio de Lima Metropolitana, las cuales utilizan Instagram, principalmente, como medio de comunicación en redes sociales. Para analizar el contenido de la marca se utilizó un enfoque cualitativo y se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas en base a una guía de indagación. Los resultados muestran que las entrevistadas tienen un doble discurso en relación al concepto de belleza y con respecto a modelos de tallas grandes (u otras características que no siguen los cánones de belleza clásicos). En un principio, apoyan que, a través de estas estrategias publicitarias, las mujeres ganen seguridad y se empoderen; sin embargo, cuando opinan sobre un producto publicitario en el cual las modelos tienen rasgos físicos distintos de estereotipos de belleza establecidos en sociedad, el primer factor de observación es su apariencia física. Por consiguiente, se puede precisar que el body positive en el femvertising sí genera una apreciación positiva sobre la diversidad de belleza, pero sigue siendo un tema relevante y decisivo para la conceptualización de marca y de la propia persona. La publicidad no es la única disciplina capaz de cambiar el concepto de belleza, pues se requiere de diversas disciplinas sociales para comprender el razonamiento de las personas. / This research focuses on analyzing the perception of the use of the "body positive" social movement in the "femvertising" strategy of Forever 21 Peru on Instagram, among a group of women between eighteen and twenty years old, belonging to a middle socioeconomic level in Metropolitan Lima and private universities, who use Instagram, mainly, as a means of communication in social networks. To analyze the content of the brand, a qualitative methodology was used and semi-structured interviews were conducted based on an inquiry guide. The results show that the interviewees have a double discourse in relation to the concept of beauty and with respect to plus-size models (or other characteristics that do not follow the established canons of beauty). In principle, they support that, through these advertising strategies, women gain confidence and become empowered; however, when they give their opinion about an advertising product in which the models have physical features different from the stereotypes of beauty established in society, the first factor of observation is their physical appearance. Therefore, it can be specified that body positive in femvertising does generate a positive appreciation of the diversity of beauty, but it remains a relevant and decisive issue for the conceptualization of the brand and of the person himself. Advertising is not the only discipline capable of changing the concept of beauty, various social disciplines are required to understand people's reasoning. / Tesis

This thesis offers a reading of GQ South Africa 2000, the first glossy men’s magazine to be launched in South Africa (in 2000). It traces the possible iconographical genealogy of glossy men’s magazines to canonical erotic artworks and examines the aesthetic conventions used by GQ to elevate its contents through an implied association with art. This thesis, furthermore, investigates the commonalities between GQ, a ‘mainstream’ publication, and ‘pornography’ (as defined by the United States Civil Rights Ordinance 1985). In this way, the fluid impermanence of ‘art’, ‘pornography’ and ‘popular culture’ as typologies is highlighted. The new taxonomy of ‘gentlemen’s pornography’ is introduced in order to counter the notion that material that has the gloss of ‘high culture’ and is deemed socially acceptable, cannot be pornographic. This thesis submits that a critical reading of glossy men’s magazines from an interdisciplinary perspective is imperative in order to reveal their ideological assumptions. The ideological position that informs this study is the radical feminist belief that pornography objectifies and subordinates women and is, therefore, harmful. The thesis is simultaneously grounded in the theoretical methodologies of visual culture and art history, and as such assumes the intonation of these disciplines. From a Postmodern point-of-view, popular visual culture not only wields power in terms of generalising (capitalist and sexist) western paradigms, but is also skilful at masking its significant influence in doing so. For this reason, this dissertation endeavours to raise a critical dialogue concerning the ideological ‘message’ of glossy men’s magazines. The sometimes antithetical nature of discourse critically centered on gender representation in visual culture may be attributed to the pervasiveness of familiar (and therefore seemingly harmless) female objectification in the popular media. This thesis examines the iconography of gendered stereotypes against the erotic/pornographic, high culture/low culture object/subject binaries, and, furthermore, situates these types in the wider dialectic of ‘obscene’ (off-scene) versus ‘acceptable’ culture. The glossy men’s magazines that form the interest of this study are a trade situated in the alliance of social elitism and representational control over the female body, and, thus, this thesis marks the point of intersection between consumer culture and the politics of display. / Dissertation (MA (Visual Arts))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Visual Arts / unrestricted

El presente proyecto de investigación es una aproximación al actual fenómeno curvy en las redes sociales. El término curvy define a una mujer que se caracteriza por ser una persona con curvas pronunciadas y voluptuosa, asimismo, este es utilizado con el fin de fomentar la aceptación de un cuerpo que va contra los estándares del canon de belleza para ser visualizado como un modelo normativo (Torres Sornosa 2018). En este sentido, el ciberespacio y la cultura de red han desarrollado un papel importante en la construcción y difusión de imaginarios, prácticas y discursos relacionados a la vida de personas que se caracterizan por sus tallas grandes y por el empoderamiento que presentan con el fin de normalizar los cuerpos gordos femeninos en redes sociales (Bienes Brito 2017). El objetivo de esta investigación radica en analizar la construcción de perfiles de curvy influencers peruanas en la red social Instagram. Para ello, se realiza el análisis de contenido a tres perfiles de influencers activistas del movimiento curvy en Perú y que son visualizadas en Instagram: Ale Otazzi, Cami León y Didi Ibarra. / This research project is an approach to the current curvy phenomenon in social networks. The term curvy defines a woman who is characterized by being a person with pronounced curves and voluptuous, likewise, this is used in order to promote the acceptance of a body that goes against the standards of the beauty canon to be visualized as a model normative (Torres Sornosa 2018). In this sense, cyberspace and network culture have played an important role in the construction and dissemination of imaginaries, practices and discourses related to the lives of people characterized by their large sizes and the empowerment they present in order to normalize fat female bodies in social networks (Bienes Brito 2017). The objective of this research is to analyze the construction of profiles of Peruvian curvy influencers on the social network Instagram. For this, the content analysis is carried out on three profiles of activist influencers of the curvy movement in Peru and who are viewed on Instagram: Ale Otazzi, Cami León and Didi Ibarra. / Trabajo de investigación

La presente investigación tiene como objetivo analizar el empoderamiento femenino que se da en la representación del personaje antagónico en el caso de la nueva adaptación de la película de la Bella durmiente: Maléfica. La representación de los personajes antagónicos femeninos se ha caracterizado por la presencia de arquetipos que los limitaban a un solo motivo y accionar durante toda la trama. Así como la sociedad va evolucionando, la estructura y fin de los personajes femeninos va cambiando junto al posicionamiento de la mujer en la historia. Se han observado cambios no solo en cuanto a la estructura de los personajes principales, sino también en cuanto a los antagónicos, estos comienzan a tener una historia, voz e incluso rol principal en los filmes. Para llevar a cabo esta investigación se establecerá un análisis comparativo entre el personaje clásico antagónico Maléfica en su versión de 1959 y la revisión de la nueva versión empoderada del remake del año 2014. / The present research aims to analyze the female empowerment that occurs in the representation of the antagonistic character in the case of the new adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty film: Maleficent. The representation of female antagonistic characters has been characterized by the presence of archetypes that limited them to a single motif and act throughout the plot. Just as society evolves, the structure and end of female characters changes alongside the positioning of women in history. Changes have been observed not only in terms of the structure of the main characters, but also how many antagonistic characters begin to have a story, voice and even lead role in the films. To carry out this research, a comparative analysis will be established between the classic maleficent antagonistic character in his 1959 writing and the revision of the empowered version of the 2014 remake. / Trabajo de investigación