The South African concept of freedom of testation is one of the most absolute concepts of freedom of testation in westernised legal systems. It is suggested that the South African concept of freedom of testation is a memento of capitalist patriarchy. As the South African legal system practices a nearly absolute concept of freedom of testation, capitalist patriarchy has maintained masculine control of property in South Africa and perpetuated the systems of male dominance prevalent in South Africa. Freedom of testation allows for wealth to pass from one male to another. It also allows entrenched gender roles to continue by excluding women from inheriting. Thus the South African law of testate succession and its central concept of freedom of testation allows for discrimination on the ground of gender. / Jurisprudence / LL.M

The South African concept of freedom of testation is one of the most absolute concepts of freedom of testation in westernised legal systems. It is suggested that the South African concept of freedom of testation is a memento of capitalist patriarchy. As the South African legal system practices a nearly absolute concept of freedom of testation, capitalist patriarchy has maintained masculine control of property in South Africa and perpetuated the systems of male dominance prevalent in South Africa. Freedom of testation allows for wealth to pass from one male to another. It also allows entrenched gender roles to continue by excluding women from inheriting. Thus the South African law of testate succession and its central concept of freedom of testation allows for discrimination on the ground of gender. / Jurisprudence / LL.M

In this dissertation, the researcher presents the findings of a discourse analytic enquiry on the construction of femininity within a contemporary South African magazine. It is argued that gender is a social construction and that women’s magazines provide a channel through which discourse of femininity reaches women. These discourses in women’s magazines are often narrow and stereotypical in nature which may limit the development of women’s feminine gender identities. A discourse analytic approach was utilised to reveal the different discourses of femininity within a contemporary women’s magazines, Cosmopolitan, as well as to indicate how they may contribute to the construction of femininity. From the magazine, relationship-focused articles were selected, from which three predominant discourses of femininity were identified which includes femininity as heterosexual, nurturing, and managerial. An important finding is that competing discourses of empowerment and traditional femininity were evident. This points to the highly complex ways in which gender, specifically femininity, is constructed in the magazine under study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Both democracy and civil society is seen to be dysfunctional in many African countries. Political leaders are not accountable to the people and citizens’ participation in the democracies is low. Particularly, women have often been neglected both within formal politics and the civil society. The aim of this thesis has been to investigate the role of the women’s movements in Uganda, Kenya and South Africa. The study has focused on the relationship between the women’s movement and the state, and further addressed the extent to which the women’s movements have been able to direct the state and influence policymaking for improved women’s rights and gender equality in the respective countries. The thesis has found that the relationship between the women’s movements and the state in the three countries inhibits very different characteristics that give rise to varying degrees of success from the work of the women’s movements. Further, the relationship has been subjected to changes in accordance with the overall political developments in the three countries. In Uganda and South Africa the political transitions of the mid 1980s and early 1990s, each respectively represented a period of good connection and communication between the women’s movements and the state. The women’s movements were able to present a strong voice and, thereby, were able to influence the state for the adoption of national gender machineries. After the political transitions, the relationship between the women’s movements and the state in both Uganda and South Africa has, however, become more constrained. In South Africa, the debates on women’s rights and gender equality have been moved from the terrain of the civil society and into the state, leading to a seemingly weakened voice for the women’s movement outside the state. In Uganda, the women’s movement have come to be subjected to pressure for co-optation by the government. The government does not genuinely uphold a concern for increased women’s rights and gender equality, and the women’s movement has at times been directly counteracted. Further, in Kenya, the women’s movement’s relationship with the state is characterised by competition rather than communication. The women’s movement is subjected to high degrees of repression, attempts of cooptation and silencing from the state, and the women’s movement have been effectively restricted from presenting a strong voice and influence the state to any great. The three case- studies illustrates that the political opportunity structures present at a particular time influence the extent to which women’s movements can work effectively in different contexts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Menige Afrikaland se demokrasie sowel as burgerlike samelewing word as disfunksioneel beskou. Politieke leiers doen geen verantwoording aan die mense nie, en burgers se deelname aan demokrasie is gebrekkig. Veral vroue word afgeskeep in die formele politieke sfeer én die burgerlike samelewing. Die doel van hierdie tesis is om die rol van die vrouebewegings in Uganda, Suid-Afrika en Kenia te ondersoek. Die studie konsentreer op die verhouding tussen die vrouebeweging en die staat, en handel voorts oor die mate waarin die verskillende vrouebewegings die staat kan lei en beleidbepaling kan beïnvloed om beter vroueregte en gendergelykheid in die onderskeie lande teweeg te bring. Die tesis bevind dat die verhouding tussen die vrouebewegings en die staat in die drie lande onder beskouing baie uiteenlopende kenmerke toon, wat wisselende grade van sukses in die vrouebewegings se werk tot gevolg het. Voorts verander dié verhouding namate die oorkoepelende politieke bestel in die drie lande verander. Uganda en Suid-Afrika se politieke oorgange in die middeltagtiger- en vroeë negentigerjare onderskeidelik het ʼn tydperk van goeie bande en kommunikasie tussen die vrouebewegings en die staat verteenwoordig. Die vrouebewegings se stem het groot gewig gehad en kon dus die staat beïnvloed om nasionale beleid en werkswyses met betrekking tot gender in te stel. Ná die onderskeie politieke oorgange is die verhouding tussen die vrouebeweging en die staat in sowel Uganda as Suid-Afrika egter aansienlik ingeperk. In Suid-Afrika het die debat oor vroueregte en gendergelykheid van die gebied van die burgerlike samelewing na die staat verskuif, wat die vrouebeweging se stem buite die staat aansienlik verswak het. In Uganda is die vrouebeweging weer onderwerp aan druk van koöpsie deur die regering. Die regering blyk nie werklik besorg te wees oor beter vroueregte en gendergelykheid nie, en die vrouebeweging word by tye direk teengewerk. Daarbenewens word die Keniaanse vrouebeweging se verhouding met die staat gekenmerk deur kompetisie eerder as kommunikasie. Die vrouebeweging het te kampe met heelwat onderdrukking en koöpsie- en muilbandpogings van die staat, en word in effek daarvan weerhou om hul menings te lug en die staat in enige beduidende mate te beïnvloed met die oog op groter doelgerigtheid en beter beleidbepaling wat vroueregte en gendergelykheid betref. Die drie gevallestudies toon dat die politieke geleentheidstrukture op ʼn bepaalde tydstip ʼn uitwerking het op die mate waarin vrouebewegings doeltreffend in verskillende kontekste kan funksioneer.

This study on “Some Gendered Practices in a Zulu Family: A Feminist Perspective” investigated gender bias, gender inequality, and gender stereotypes as seen in daily gendered practices happening within the Zulu family. The practises examined are confined to the domain of the Zulu culture, particularly the Zulu marriage. The four main research questions put surveillance on how married women are restricted to move freely on the premises of their own homes; how women can unhappily find themselves in a polygamous marriage; how a wife’s dignity can be denigrated due to a man’s lack of understanding of her body anatomy; how she can be denied equal status with her husband due to certain cultural beliefs and conceptions. In the face of inevitable change that influences human behaviour, this study sought to show that the Zulu nation, particularly men, find it difficult to easily and speedily accept that culture and tradition are subject to change. The study attempted to establish whether there is any improvement on gender transformation or not, especially within the context of the current endeavours by the South African government to ensure that there is no gender discrimination by having female representativeness in all spheres of government. Progress has been made with regard to fair representation of women in political and decision-making positions in all spheres of government. The country is currently rated 7th in the world in terms of representation of women in legislature. http://www.buanews.gov.za/rss/08/08120715451006-5/11/2012 Throughout the analysis and interpretation of both the statistical and qualitative data, I critiqued the data to establish whether the gender transformation ideal is being achieved in the Zulu family or not. Radical feminism, the theory through which this study was conducted, has helped to show that Zulu women are still disadvantaged and oppressed due to social machinations that are essentially invented by patriarchal men. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

In this dissertation, the researcher presents the findings of a discourse analytic enquiry on the construction of femininity within a contemporary South African magazine. It is argued that gender is a social construction and that women’s magazines provide a channel through which discourse of femininity reaches women. These discourses in women’s magazines are often narrow and stereotypical in nature which may limit the development of women’s feminine gender identities. A discourse analytic approach was utilised to reveal the different discourses of femininity within a contemporary women’s magazines, Cosmopolitan, as well as to indicate how they may contribute to the construction of femininity. From the magazine, relationship-focused articles were selected, from which three predominant discourses of femininity were identified which includes femininity as heterosexual, nurturing, and managerial. An important finding is that competing discourses of empowerment and traditional femininity were evident. This points to the highly complex ways in which gender, specifically femininity, is constructed in the magazine under study. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Text in English Summary in English, Tshivenda and Setswana / Rastafari (this term is preferred to Rastafarianism) is known as a movement which originated in Jamaica and has since spread throughout the world. The movement has attracted much attention from the public and media worldwide because of reggae music. This study set out to investigate the lived experiences of Rastafari women of Tshwane. The purpose of the study was to describe their experiences regarding their roles, duties and responsibilities. It paid particular attention to the behavioural patterns of women within what is often regarded as a patriarchal order. The study was qualitative in nature and made use of various data gathering techniques such as life histories, focus groups, semi-structured and unstructured in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. My findings are, firstly, that Rastafari pays very scant attention to women. Secondly, in contemporary times some practices enforced by their holy books feel oppressive. Lastly, the lived experience reveal that Rastafari as a culture changes with time and women influence the movement. / Rasiṱafari tshi ḓivhea sa tshigwada tshine vhubvo hatsho ha vha ngei Jamaica zwino tsho phaḓalala na ḽifhasi ḽoṱhe. Tshigwada tsho kunga vhunzhi ha zwitshavha na nyanḓadzamafhungo ḽifhasini ḽoṱhe nga nṱhani ha muzika wa rigei. Ngudo iyi yo dzudzanyelwa u ṱoḓisisa nga ha vhutshilo ha tshigwada tsho tsikeledzwaho tsha vhafumakadzi vha Rasiṱafari vho no wanala Tshwane. Ndivho ya ngudo iyi ndi u ṱalusa tshenzhemo yavho zwi tshi ya kha mishumo na vhuḓifhinduleli havho. Yo sedzesa kha kutshilele kwa vhafumakadzi kha sisiṱeme ya matshilisano hune vhanna vha dzhiwa sa vhone vhalanguli. Ngudo yo lavhelesa nga maanḓa kha u ṱanḓavhudza vhuvha ha tshithu ho shumiswa thekhiniki dzo fhambanaho dza u kuvhanganya data u fana na ḓivhazwakale dza vhutshilo, zwigwada zwo sedzeswaho khazwo, na inthaviyu dzine mbudziso dza vha dzo thoma dza dzudzanywa na inthaviyu ine mbudziso dza vha dzi songo dzudzanywa, kuvhonele na mafhungo e a kuvhanganywa kha vhupo. Mawanwa anga ndi, zwa u thoma, Rasiṱafari i sedzesa zwiṱuku kha vhafumakadzi. Zwa vhuvhili, zwazwino maitele ane a tevhedzwa nga maṅwalo makhethwa a pfala a tshi tsikeledza. Zwa u fhedzisela, vhutshilo ha tshigwada tsho tsikeledzwaho vhu dzumbulula uri mvelele ya Rasiṱafari ine vhadzulapo vha Afrika vha shela mulenzhe khayo I khou shushedzwa nga mvelele ya mashango a vhukovhela, i ne ya kunga na u ṱanganedzwa nga vhafumakadzi. Zwenezwo, Rasiṱafari sa tshigwada tsha mvusuludzo a yo ngo ima fhethu huthihi fhedzi i khou shanduka na tshifhinga. / Rastafari e itsege jaaka mokgatlho o o tlholegileng kwa Jamaica, mme go tloga foo wa anamela mo lefatsheng lotlhe. Mokgatlho o o nnile le kgogedi e kgolo mo bathong le bobegakgang lefatshe ka bophara ka ntlha ya mmino wa reggae. Patlisiso eno e ikaeletse go sekaseka maitemogelo a a tshedilweng ke basadi ba kwa Tshwane ba Rastafari. Maikemisetso a patlisiso ke go tlhalosa maitemogelo a bona mabapi le seabe, ditiro le maikarabelo a bona. E etse tlhoko thata mekgwa ya maitsholo ya basadi mo go se gantsi se kaiwang e le thulaganyo e e bayang banna kwa godimo. Patlisiso e ne e le e e lebeletseng go tlhaloganya mabaka le megopolo (qualitative) mme e dirisitse mekgwa e e farologaneng ya go kokoanya tshedimosetso go tshwana le hisetori ya botshelo, ditlhopha tsa puisano (focus groups), dipotsolotso tse di rulaganeng fela di sa tsepama (semi-structured interviews) le dipotsolotso tse di sa rulaganang tse di tsenelelang ko botennye jwa kgang, go ela tlhoko mmogo le dintlha tse di kwadilweng mo tsamaong ya patlisiso. Diphitlhelelo tsa me ke gore, sa ntlha, Rastafari e tsaya basadi tsia go se kae fela. Sa bobedi, mo dinakong tsa ga jaana, ditiro dingwe tse di laelwang ke dibuka tsa bona tse di boitshepo di utlwala di gatelela. Sa bofelo, maitemogelo a senola gore setso sa Rastafari se mo go sona Bantsho ba nang le seabe, se tshosediwa ke setso sa bophirima se se nang le kgogedi, mme se amogelwa ke basadi. Ka jalo, Rastafari jaaka mokgatlho wa tsosoloso, ga e a tsepama, mme e fetoga le dinako. / Anthropology and Archaeology / M.A. (Anthropology)

Mining as a historical male-dominated space is confronted by various transformational structural changes. While the racial composition of mining boards has improved, gender representation of women in boards is problematic. Owing to our historical legacy of apartheid and decades of colonialism, South Africa became a victim of an unequal society. The new political dispensation under the leadership of Nelson Mandela sought to redress those inequalities after the fall of apartheid in 1994. However, gender inequalities and the gender subject remain contentious issues, particularly in historically male-dominated sectors such as mining. With legislation enforcement, only a few mining companies have improved the representation of women on boards (WoB), while some companies remain with no women or only one woman on board. However, despite the atrocities of apartheid, South African mining sector is relatively performing better in terms of WoB than countries that were not exposed to such a discriminatory dispensation. Yet still, mining lags far behind compared to other industries in South Africa. This outlook led me to conduct a multiple cross-case analysis research study to explore how women were integrated into mining by reviewing talent management practices used to appoint women (and men) by exploring recruitment, development and retention practices. I adopted an emancipatory critical research approach, a feminist epistemological paradigm, and I considered African feminism a suitable research approach given the unique context of South African mining history. The results showed that the industry still faces gender structural inequalities guided by an indoctrinated mindset of the sector, and that it is still to a great extent racially biased. While most focus of talent management is directed at recruiting more women, men still control recruitment, which is biased and informal, and different or stringent recruitment criteria are applied for women. Even though women occupy a few board seats and exceed the critical mass in some boards, they still face change-resistant attitudes and stereotypes and a double glass ceiling in terms of who has a right of voice, which disregarded their talent. All women regardless of race, were subject to stereotypes, but dealt with them differently. I found that black women are more affected than any other racial group due to their social identities, facing triple oppression due to their gender and race, but also class, which affects their confidence and their talent offering to board responsibilities. In fear of marginalisation, the black women in my study felt that they needed to earn the trust of men, especially those of white men. White, Indian and 1coloured women who were affected by gender stereotypes were silent about those prejudices, but were also still discriminated against with fewer board opportunities. The effectiveness of training and development of directors and retention was hindered by the culture in mining, individual constructed identities and societal gender constructions of roles and responsibilities. These constructions undermined the talent of women in boards and constructed the talent of men as superior. / Thesisi ye e fa tlhahlobo ye e tseneletšego ya ditirišo tša taolo ya talente ka dikhamphaning tše tshela tša meepo tša go ngwadišwa le JSE ka Afrika Borwa. E nyakišiša gobaneng talente ya mosadi e hlokomologilwe, le gore gobaneng basadi ba tšwela pele go ba palo ye nnyane mo dibotong le ge e le gore molao wa Afrika Borwa o thekga tekatekano ya bong le gore tokafatšo ya taba (business case) e hlatsetšwe go ya ka tirišo. Mokgwatlwaelo wa basadi wa Afrika o šomišwa ka go kopantšha mokgwa wa maemo a magareng woo o lebantšhago go kopano ya morafe le bong. Tšhomišo ya mokgwatlwaelo wa basadi wa Afrika gape e dira teori seemo sa go ithuta bong go ya ka mabaka a moswananoši gomme mo tabeng ye, intasteri ye e tletšego ka banna ka nageng ya morago ga kgatelelo le morago ga kgethollo. Dipoelo di bontšhitše gore intasteri e lebana le diphapano tša sebopego tša bong tše di hlahlwago ke maikutlo ao a tsentšwego a lekala, le le sa ntšego le tšea lehlakore go ya ka morafe. Komiti ya ditšhišinyo e tletše ka thwalo ya taolo ya banna, yeo e tšeago lehlakore ebile e se ya semmušo, gomme dikriteria tša go fapana tša thwalo di a šomišwa go basadi. Basadi ka moka go sa šetšwe morafe, ba be ba lebana le ditlwaedi, eupša ba be ba šogana le tšona ka go fapana. Basadi ba bathobaso ba sa ntše ba lebana le kgatelelo ya go menagana gararo ya go amana le bong bja bona, morafe, le boemo. Ka go tšhoga nyenyefatšo, basadi ba Bathobaso ba be ba nyaka tumelelo go banna, kudu ya banna ba Bathobašweu. Basadi ba Bathobašweu, Bathobaso, Maindia le Bammala ba be ba sa bolele ka dikgethollo, eupša gape ba be ba sa ntše ba gatelelwa kgahlanong le menyetla e se mekae ya boto. Katlego ya tlhahlo le tlhabollo ya balaodibagolo le kganetšo di šitišitšwe ke setšo sa meepo, maitšhupo ao a bopilwego a go ikgetha le dibopego tša bong tša setšhaba tša dikarolo le maikarabelo. Dibopego tše di nyaditše talente ya basadi ka dibotong gomme di bopile talente ya banna go ba ya maemo a godimo. Nyakišišo ye e kgatha tema go dingwalo tša tirišo tša basadi mo dibotong ka go nyakišiša mašomelo a taolo ya talente – a selo se se hlokomologilwego basading mo dinyakišišong tša diboto. E hlaloša ka fao basadi ba thwalwago, hlahlelwago maemo a boto le go hlaloša hlokomologo ya go tsenela taolo ya talente. / Business Management / Ph. D. (Management Studies)