Using a critical feminist approach, and with attention to participants’ broad life experiences, this qualitative study explores seven women’s challenging, transformative decisions to give birth at home with midwives in Ontario, Canada. To make this choice, the women had to draw on their own strength, take responsibility for their decisions, and resist the dominant view of birth as inherently risky, and of women’s birth experiences as unimportant and incompatible with more narrowly defined good outcomes. As participants became informed decision-makers, resisted medicalized birth, and envisioned more woman-centred possibilities, they were empowered as active agents in their births. They were able to trust that with the care of their midwives, and the support of their partners or close family, they could have satisfying and safe births at home.

Cette thèse porte sur l’évolution des pratiques d’intervention dans les maisons d’hébergement pour femmes victimes de violence au Québec, depuis leur développement au milieu des années 1970. Plus spécifiquement, elle trace un portrait de 40 ans de pratiques au sein de ces ressources, mettant en lumière les transformations qu’elles ont connues au fil des années. Guidée par une posture épistémologique critique et féministe et s’appuyant sur une méthodologie qualitative, l’étude guidant la présente thèse fut menée auprès d’un échantillon composé de 48 participantes, dont 8 pionnières, 7 vétérantes et 33 intervenantes. Elle est également alimentée par 53 documents produits par le Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale et par la Fédération des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes. Un cadre conceptuel ayant émergé de manière inductive du corpus de données a orienté l’analyse des résultats, articulés autour de six valeurs : la sécurité, la dignité, l’autodétermination, l’égalité, la solidarité et la justice sociale. Dans l’ensemble, cette recherche démontre qu’initialement, les maisons d’hébergement pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale au Québec qui s’appuient sur une lecture féministe du phénomène ont été mises sur pied dans l’objectif ultime de disparaître avec l’élimination de la violence faite aux femmes. Dans cette optique, ces ressources étaient conceptualisées comme des lieux de changement social; les pratiques, fortement axées sur le collectif, ciblaient l’ensemble de la société (Lacombe, 1990). D’une solution temporaire à une fin en soi (Murray, 1988), les maisons d’hébergement se sont progressivement structurées à l’interne dans la manière de travailler avec les femmes et avec les enfants, un phénomène mis en lien avec la professionnalisation. Les résultats laissent également entrevoir que les six valeurs servant de cadre conceptuel à la présente étude ont traversé l’histoire des maisons d’hébergement et influencent encore profondément les pratiques d’intervention, telles que conceptualisées par les pionnières et les vétérantes au cours des années 1970. Or, certains éléments laissent entrevoir des glissements en lien avec l’analyse sous-jacente à ces valeurs. Plus précisément, le regard porté sur la situation des femmes vivant différentes problématiques outre la violence conjugale (santé mentale, toxicomanie, agressivité) varie davantage d’une participante à l’autre et le manque de repères théoriques semble complexifier leur travail avec les femmes considérées « difficiles ». Plus encore, le retour en force du discours médical, une préoccupation pour la place des hommes, ainsi que la conceptualisation des femmes dans leur rôle de mère dans une « vision déficitaire » (Peled & Dekel, 2010) font émerger d’importants questionnements sur l’équilibre et l’influence du féminisme en maison d’hébergement. / This dissertation focuses on the evolution of intervention practices in domestic violence shelters in the province of Québec, since their development in the mid-1970’s. More specifically, it provides an overview of 40 years of practices in these refuges, highlighting the transformations that have occurred over the years. Drawing upon a critical and feminist epistemological viewpoint and relying on a qualitative methodology, the study guiding this thesis was conducted with a total sample of 48 participants, including 8 pioneers, 7 veterans and 33 domestic violence shelter workers. Moreover, 53 documents issued by the Regroupement des maisons pour femmes victimes de violence conjugale and by the Fédération des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes have also supported the current research. The conceptual framework through which the intervention practices were analyzed emerged inductively from the data and is organized around six values: security, dignity, self-determination, equality, solidarity, and social justice. Overall, domestic violence shelters in the province of Québec which drew upon a feminist perspective of the phenomenon were developed with the ultimate goal of dissolving when violence against women was eliminated. Accordingly, these resources were conceptualized as mean of social change; collectively-oriented practices were thus targeting society as a whole (Lacombe, 1990). From a “means to and end” to “an end in itself” (Murray, 1988), domestic violence shelters have been gradually structured internally with regards to the way they work with women and children, a phenomenon which can be linked to the professionalization of services. The results also suggest that the six values on which the conceptual framework of the study was built have remained deeply entrenched in the history of domestic violence shelters and are still influencing the intervention practices, as conceptualized by the pioneers and veterans during the 1970’s. However, some of the data provided in the current research suggests some shifts in existing practices are occurring. More specifically, the challenge of understanding the situation of women affected by different issues (mental health, substance abuse, aggression) through a feminist lens and the lack of theoretical references seems to further complicate the participants’ work with women who are deemed “difficult”. Moreover, the resurgence of a medical discourse, the willingness of some to involve men in shelters and the conceptualization of women in their role as mothers through a “deficit perspective” (Peled & Dekel, 2010) raises important questions about the continuing strength and influence of feminism on workers.

Using a critical feminist approach, and with attention to participants’ broad life experiences, this qualitative study explores seven women’s challenging, transformative decisions to give birth at home with midwives in Ontario, Canada. To make this choice, the women had to draw on their own strength, take responsibility for their decisions, and resist the dominant view of birth as inherently risky, and of women’s birth experiences as unimportant and incompatible with more narrowly defined good outcomes. As participants became informed decision-makers, resisted medicalized birth, and envisioned more woman-centred possibilities, they were empowered as active agents in their births. They were able to trust that with the care of their midwives, and the support of their partners or close family, they could have satisfying and safe births at home.

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Includes bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The human security concept challenges the traditional view of state security. The very essence of human security means to respect human rights. The Commission on Human Security did not focus on women as a special area of concern in the 1994 Human Development Report. The report does not recognise that being subject to gender hierarchies increases women’s insecurity and that women experience human security differently from men and shows that the human security concept does not include gender based violence (GBV) because there is no specific attention paid to issues that predominantly pertain to women. This study is conducted from a feminist perspective. It is reflexive research and based on standpoint theory. The data is gathered through analysis of secondary data and primary data, collected through interviews. GBV in South Africa tends to be continuous and the perpetrator is most likely to be a spouse or partner. Studies show that women are seen as being dependent on and weaker than men. Many men view women’s rights legislation as a challenge to the legitimacy of men’s authority over women. Women who try to be more independent in their relationships are regarded as threats and violence against them becomes a way for men to show control. The criminal justice system in South Africa has made progress in protecting women from GBV but myths, stereotypes and social conventions still prevent women from receiving justice. Traditionally, the state regards what happens in the private sphere as outside its responsibility. The public/private dichotomy challenges state regulations and norms which is evident in the case of domestic violence. It is often argued that GBV has remained imperceptible because it takes place in the private sphere. However, this research indicates that due to the socio-economic situation in South Africa, the abuse is often publicly known by those in the immediate environment as people live in informal housing. This research shows that a human security framework that targets GBV has to be developed for those who bear its consequences. When women are not viewed as subjects, issues that mainly affect them remain invisible. It is necessary that analysis of human insecurity starts from the conditions of women’s lives. Many women in South Africa live highly traumatic lives. Fighting GBV requires that we know the victims of GBV and let them decide what they need to feel secure. Creating human security requires that other threats which contribute to GBV, such as poverty, gender stereotypes and prejudice are also addressed. GBV has become an epidemic in South Africa and is a permanent constraint in women’s lives and impacts society as a whole. The security of the state rest on the security of women and as long as the state fails to treat GBV as a serious crime and protect women the state is more likely to use violence on a larger scale against its citizens. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Menslike Veiligheidskonsept daag die tradisionele siening van staatsveiligheid uit: die kerbetekenis van Menslike Veiligheid is om menseregte te respekteer. Die Kommissie op Menslike Veiligheid het nie op vroue as ‘n spesiale area van kommer gefokus in die Menslike Ontwikkelingsverslag van 1994 nie. Die verslag het daarin gefaal om te erken dat die realiteit van geslags-hiërargieë vroue se insekuriteit verhoog, en dat die ervaring van menslike sekuriteit van mans en vroue verskil. Hierdie navorsing sal toon dat die menslike veiligheidsbegrip nie in staat is om geslags-gebaseerde geweld (GGG) in ag te neem nie, aangesien daar geen spesifieke aandag verleen is aan vraagstukke wat hoofsaaklik op vroue betrekking het nie. Hierdie studie is vanuit 'n feministiese perspektief gedoen. Die navorsing is reflektief en op standpunt-teorie gebaseer. Die data is deur die analise van sekondêre data, asook die gebruik van primêre data i deur middel van onderhoude ingesamel . GGG in Suid-Afrika is geneig om oor ‘n uitgerekte tydperk plaas te vind en die mees waarskynlike oortreders is ‘n eggenoot of lewensmaat. Navorsing toon dat gemeenskappe geneig is om vroue as swakker en afhanlik van mans te sien. Wetgewing op die regte van vroue word deur vele mans as ‘n uidaging van hul legitieme superioriteit, ten op sigte van vroue, gesien. Vroue wat dus onafhanklikheid in hul verhoudings probeer uitoefen, word as bedreigings gesien en geweld word gebruik om hulle “in hul plek te hou”. Die Suid-Afrikaanse kriminele regstelsel het al vordering gemaak in terme van die beskerming van vroue teen GGG, maar mites, stereotipes en sosiale konvensies belemmer steeds die volle gang van die gereg. Die staat het in die verlede die private sfeer as buite sy jurisdiksie gesien. Die openbare/private sfeer digotomie bied uitdagings vir staatsregulering en vir die implementering van regulasies , en dit word veral duidelik in die geval van huishoudelike geweld. Daar word aangevoer dat aangesien GGG in die private sfeer plaasvind, dit onsigbaar bly. Hierdie navorsing het egter bevind dat GGG in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks dikwels in die openbare gemeenskapsfeer (deur diegene in die onmiddelike omgewing) opgemerk word, omdat baie mense in Suid-Afrika informele nedersettings woon.Hierdie navorsing het verder bevind dat ‘n GGG raamwerk vir menslike veiligheid ontwikkel moet word wat diegene wat die gevolge van GGG dra insluit. Indien vroue nie spesifiek as navorsingssubjekte geag word nie, bly faktore wat hulle spesifiek beïnvloed onsigbaar. Dit is belangrik dat analise van menslike insekuriteit begin om die omstandighede van vrouens se lewens in ag te neem. Vroue in Suid-Afrika leef in hoogs traumatiese omstandighede. In die bestryding van GGG is dit belangrik dat die slagoffers van GGG in ag geneem word en dat dit hulle toelaat om dit duidelik te maak wat hulle onveilig laat voel. Die skep van menslike veiligheid vereis dat bedreigings wat bydra tot GGG, naamlik armoede, geslagstereotipes en vooroordeel , ook aangespreek word. GGG in Suid-Afrika het ‘n epidemie geword, en plaas ‘n permanente beperking op vroue se lewens. Dit het ook ‘n blywende impak op die samelewing as ‘n geheel. Die veiligheid van die staat rus op die veiligheid van vroue. Solank as wat die staat versuim om GGG te bekamp en as ‘n ernstigge misdaad te erken, en vroue nie die beskerming van die staat geniet nie, is daar ‘n hoër moontlikheid vir die gebruik van geweld deur die staat teen sy eie burgers op ‘n groter skaal.

The research undertaken represents an in-depth study of gender and economics from a multi-disciplinary perspective. By drawing on economic, social policy and political science literature it makes an original contribution to the disciplines of economics and feminist economics by advancing ideas on a feminist theory of policy change and institutional design. Equally, the study develops a framework for a multi-method approach to feminist research with applied policy focus by establishing a pragmatic feminist research paradigm. By espousing multiple research philosophies, it extends understanding of gender differences in policy outcomes by connecting theories from feminist economics, feminist historical institutionalism and ideational processes. Jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council UK and the Scottish Government, this project attempts to answer three key questions: What is the relative position of men and women in the Scottish economy and how do childcare responsibilities influence these? Which institutions, structures and processes have been instrumental in embedding gender in Scottish economic policy? To what extent and how is the Scottish Government’s approach to economic policy gendered? Quantitative analysis reveals persistently disproportionate differences in men and women’s position in the labour market. Women remain over-represented in part-time employment and in the public sector in the 10years under investigation. Using panel data, the multinomial logistic regression estimation of patterns in labour market transitions equally reveal disproportionate gendered patterns, with families with dependent children 0-4years at a disadvantage to those without. Qualitative analysis indicates that these differences are partly explained by the fact that the unpaid economy still remains invisible to policymakers despite changes in the institutional design, policy processes and the approach to equality policymaking undertaken in Scotland. Unpaid childcare work is not represented as policy relevant and the way gender, equality and gender equality are conceptualised within institutional sites and on political agendas pose various challenges for policy development on unpaid childcare work and gender equality in general. Additionally, policymakers in Scotland do not integrate both the paid and unpaid economies in economic policy formulation since social policy and economic policy are designed separately. The study also establishes that the range of institutions and actors that make-up the institutional setting for regulating and promoting equality, influence how equality issues are treated within a national context. In Scotland, equality regulating institutions such as parliament, the Scottish Government, equality commission and the law are instrumental variables in determining the range of equality issues that are embedded in an equality infrastructure and the extent to which equality issues, including gender, are consequently embedded in public policy and government budgets. Significantly despite meeting all the attributes of an equality issue, unpaid care is not classified as a protected characteristic in the Equality legislation. These institutions can ameliorate, sustain or perpetuate the delivery of unequitable policy outcomes for men and women in the mutually dependent paid and unpaid economy. Thus, economic, social and political institutions are not independent from one another but are interrelated in complex ways that subsequently have material consequences on men and women in society. In summary, there are interlinkages between the law, labour market, the unpaid economy, the welfare state and gendered political institutions such that policy or institutional change in one will be dependent on or trigger change in another. These institutions are gendered, but are also interlinked and underpin the gender structure of other institutions to the extent that the gendered norms and ideas embedded in one institution, for example legislation or political institutions, structure the gendered dimensions of the labour market, welfare state, and the unpaid economy. By shedding light on institutional and political forces that regulate equality in addition to macroeconomic forces, the analysis reveals the important role of institutions, policy actors and their ideas as instrumental forces which constantly define, redefine and reconstruct the labour market experiences of men and women with significant material consequences.

This study explores the subjective experiences of mothers living with HIV from Southeastern Ontario when accessing health and social services. Drawing on principles of feminist participatory action research, 5 MLWH were brought together in order to share their stories of accessing health and social services and to participate in the creation of a collage as part of the storytelling process. Intersectional feminist theory was chosen as a theoretical lens for this project to highlight the ways women’s multiple identities intersect and contribute to HIV-stigma. Emerging from the storytelling and arts based process were stories about the women’s interactions with the criminal justice system, Children’s Aid Societies, social welfare programs and women-specific supports. The key concerns that the women raised in connection to these interactions included having to re-tell their story, concerns about confidentiality and disclosure and experiencing a loss of control as a result of depending on a myriad of health and social services. In addition, the participants identified changes they would like to see within health/social services including more opportunities for peer support and an increase in services available to support the unique psychosocial challenges of MLWH. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

Violence against Indigenous women and girls is an unacceptable tragedy in Canada. The 2019 Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls concluded Canada is guilty of "a race-based genocide of Indigenous Peoples ... which especially targets women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA people." Using an intersectional feminist research ethic, I undertake a critical discourse analysis to determine in what ways key concepts such as national myth, dismissals of harm against Indigenous peoples, and conceptualizations of genocide influenced the reactions of the five major federal political parties to the Final Report. I review the parties' respective commitments to action by analyzing their 2021 electoral platforms and compare their discourse in the wake of the release of the Final Report with their official platform commitments. In essence, the research's empirical contribution shows an enabling self-confirming relationship between the key concepts present in political discourse in response to the Final Report and a political party's path forward when it comes to addressing violence against Indigenous women and girls.

This research journey investigated the ways in which (1) the lives of adolescents have been influenced by parental divorce and subsequent remarriage, (2) exploring the relationships participants have with biological, nonresidential fathers and (3) to collaboratively present ways of doing family in alternative. Four adolescent girls took part in group conversations where they could were empowered to have their voices heard in a society where they are usually marginalized and silenced. As a result of these conversations a family game, FunFam, was developed that aimed to assist families in expanding communication within the family. Normalizing prescriptive discourses about divorce and remarriage were deconstructed to offer participants the opportunity to re-author their stories about their families. The second part of the research journey explored the problem-saturated stories that these four participants had with their biological, nonresidential fathers. They deconstructed the discourses that influenced this relationship and redefined the relationship to suit their expectations and wishes. / Practical Theology / M.Th.

This research journey investigated the ways in which (1) the lives of adolescents have been influenced by parental divorce and subsequent remarriage, (2) exploring the relationships participants have with biological, nonresidential fathers and (3) to collaboratively present ways of doing family in alternative. Four adolescent girls took part in group conversations where they could were empowered to have their voices heard in a society where they are usually marginalized and silenced. As a result of these conversations a family game, FunFam, was developed that aimed to assist families in expanding communication within the family. Normalizing prescriptive discourses about divorce and remarriage were deconstructed to offer participants the opportunity to re-author their stories about their families. The second part of the research journey explored the problem-saturated stories that these four participants had with their biological, nonresidential fathers. They deconstructed the discourses that influenced this relationship and redefined the relationship to suit their expectations and wishes. / Philosophy, Practical and Systematic Theology / M.Th.