This paper focuses on the topic of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) – forms of violence and abuse perpetrated against individuals on the basis of gender in online spaces or through technological means. It is a recent and highly pervasive issue that the activist, academic and development worlds are working to define. Those working on the fight against gender-based violence (GBV) have begun to re-frame the issue of harassment and abuse experienced online or through technology as a form of violence by placing it on a continuum of violence. By furthermore noting its gendered nature, they have situated it as a form of gender-based violence. While a variety of terminology has been employed to describe how such violence is committed, who is targeted and how they experience it the field of GBV is still working towards a discursive consensus.  This paper takes the stance that the language we use to define and frame social issues is of critical importance because it can influence wider social change. Accordingly, critical discourse analysis will be employed to consider to what extent the discourse of technology figures into the wider discourse on gender-based violence. So as to narrow the focus of the analysis, this paper will look at the discourse around GBV produced by actors in the international development field, considering that social norms change is a primary focus within programming and activities around gender equality and the prevention of gender-based violence. For this, the analysis will consider the 2021 iteration of the annual 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence movement and campaign, looking at social media content posted during the core campaign period (25 November - 10 December 2021).

While researchers have documented elite Indigenous hockey players' experiences when they leave home to play sports in the mainstream context, to date they have not examined how these experiences may vary based on sex and gender. By using Tribal Critical Race Theory, Indigenous feminisms, and reflexive thematic analysis, in this thesis, I examined the challenges and benefits that First Nations elite hockey players experienced when they left home to play in the mainstream context and how these challenges varied based on sex and gender. The 20 participants (10 female, 10 male) all had challenges with language and their new environments. Interestingly, while all the male participants reported experiencing racism, only two of the female participants reported such experiences, and they were of a less overt nature. The benefits that were experienced by both male and female athletes included athletic and personal growth, new experiences, and support from home. While both male and female athletes reported accruing benefits from leaving home, I found that the female athletes had to leave home to pursue hockey due to a lack of opportunities available to them, opportunities that were often available closer to home for male participants. I also found that both males and females reported receiving a great deal of support; this is particularly interesting given male hockey's higher profile. Taken together, these findings add nuance to the existing literature on Indigenous hockey players' experiences in the mainstream context.

The purpose of this study is to examine the discourse surrounding sexual assault and policy change in the U.S. military. As rhetoricians continue to embrace public sphere theory, the field has started asking what rhetoric's role is in solving public problems. My research questions were twofold: how do rhetorical processes construct social realities around sexual assault and how have these processes impacted policy change? These questions seek to further examine the rhetorical nature of publics and public spheres, specifically those surrounding the military and its interaction with the civilian public. In order to answer these questions, the case studies herein make use of rhetorical histories, grounded theory, discourse analysis, and public sphere theory. Also integral to these cases is the study of anger as a rhetorical force. The role of anger in this discourse is important, as it informs the narrative that grows out of each case study and it shapes public response to formerly private problems. Rhetoric's intervention in these cases shows the power of policy, language, and the material impact of both. The major guiding principle of my methodology is that institutions are shaped and brought to life through rhetorical processes and that these processes construct social reality inside and out of the institution in question. This dissertation examines public facing documents – memos, press releases, speeches, interviews, and leaked documents – and arranges them chronologically to offer a broader view of the discourse around sexual assault in context. The two case studies examine how the culture reinforced by uniform and fitness policies enact gender-based violence and follow the public responses to these incidents. / Doctor of Philosophy / The rise in high-profile sexual assault cases in the United States has drawn public attention to the high rates of sexual and gender-based violence in some of our most important and visible institutions, including our athletic teams, our universities, and our military. Anger plays a predominant role in the public reaction to each new allegation and it shapes the conversations happening around incidents of gender-based violence as public awareness grows. What impact does public anger have on the discourse surrounding these incidents? This study explores the impact of public anger after two major sexual assault scandals in the U.S. military broke headlines: Tailhook in 1991 and the United States Air Force Academy in 2003. A decade apart, these scandals rocked the nation and its trust in the military; they also triggered rapid policy change and growth regarding women's place in the military and how future incidents would be handled.

In Leiden, The Netherlands following recent incidents of street harassment young women have expressed their concerns: they want to be able to live a normal life. The response given from the authorities to young women was to be extra vigilant. Street harassment is defined as an intimidating approach by a stranger in public. Studies show that women are more often the victim of general discourtesy and harassment in public places compared to men. Street harassment has proven to have physical, mental, and emotional effect on its target. The aim of this study was to understand how Leiden makes the city safer for women and how young women perceive these approaches. This study is part of a research project named ‘Leren met de Stad’ translated into Learning with the City. The data of this study was collected through semi-structured interviews with three individuals from the authorities and a focus group interview of six young women. The qualitative data of this study was processed through a six-phase thematic analysis. The results indicated that as for now the effort to prevent or decrease street harassment is not high on the agenda of Leiden due to minimal reports of street harassment incidents. The young women who participated in this study addressed the normalization from society, negligent behaviours from the authorities and the importance of providing a solution for an issue that according to them is urgent. The conclusion of this study is that there should be a strong desire to positively change social norms on all societal levels, create more awareness and cooperation between authorities to improve the safety of women in Leiden.

This study identifies factors that fosters and hinders coordination among key agencies operating in One-Stop Centers in Zambia such as the police, health and social welfare that provide coordinated medical, social and legal services to the victims of gender-based violence. This is a primary qualitative study in which data was collected using interviews from participants selected from the key agencies operating from five One-Stop Centers in Lusaka province of the Republic of Zambia. Thematic content analysis was used to generate categories of data with similar meaning based on frequently recurring themes. Findings showed that although there is positive coordination among One-Stop Center agency players, there are a host of coordination challenges among them. The study gathered that information sharing, communication, clearly defined goals and agreed outcome, increased knowledge of inter-disciplinary roles and inter-agency philosophy foster effective inter-agency coordination among key players in One Stop centers . On the other hand, hindering factors such as lack of adequate resources, high attrition of staff, loss of membership interest and commitment, and lack of motivation and heavy reliance on unmotivated volunteers were identified as major setbacks to effective operation of One-Stop Centers in Zambia. The study further found that adequate allocation of resources, joint capacity building trainings and permanent attachment of staff to One-Stop Centers as panacea to the various challenges that encumber effective operation in One-Stop centers in Zambia. Implications and future research direction are discussed.

In 2022, Namibia recorded over five thousand cases of gender-based violence (GBV), highlighting the alarming and persistent nature of this issue. GBV is both a consequence and reinforcement of deeply ingrained gender inequalities in Namibian society, stemming from factors such as colonial history, power imbalances, and traditional norms. Sport is recognized as a valuable strategy to promote gender equality by challenging stereotypes and structural norms. However, fostering these gender equalities requires understanding the perceptions and educational knowledge of youth who represent the future of Namibian society.Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify and investigate students’ educational knowledge and perceptions of GBV and gender equality, as well as their perceptions of sport and its contribution to personal and social development and gender equality. Hereby, their experiences, traditions, and beliefs were at the center of the study. Data was collected from 24 students from disadvantaged communities who are enrolled in grades 8 to 12 in the after-school center of Physically Active Youth (P.A.Y.) in Windhoek, Namibia. The data collection process utilized an explanatory sequential mixed-method approach, collecting data from an online self-administered questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with two staff members and three students. The results of this study showed that educational and societal factors largely influence students’ perceptions and knowledge of GBV and gender equality. Students advocate for more comprehensive education and inclusive sports programs to foster personal and social development and challenge traditional gender norms. Moreover, they pointed out the need for community support and safe spaces for open discussions. Despite recognizing the barriers posed by patriarchal values, students believe in the potential of sport and education to promote gender equality and social change and to prevent GBV in Namibia.

No description available.

No description available.

Kenyan informal settlements have been thoroughly depicted by previous researchers as biophysical, epidemiological, and economic risk environments in which food insecurity is recognised as one of the most persistent everyday challenges. Although unemployment and illness are key contributors to the inability to purchase sufficient food, the reasons why households experience food insecurity are more complicated and not fully understood. Part of the problem is that few previous studies have privileged socio-political contributions (e.g. gender-based power inequalities and the impacts of social networks) to household food security risk. Whilst food security researchers commonly utilise the concept of vulnerability to address household-scale risk, this concept is rarely applied to interpersonal dynamics within households. Using data gathered through participant observation, questionnaires, and 109 in-depth interviews with 67 participants, this thesis provides an ethnographic account of household food insecurity in an informal settlement which addresses three primary questions: (1) In what ways might interpersonal relationships within households contribute social and political obstacles to achieving food security? For instance, how and why might risk for food insecurity emerge from experiences of interpersonal conflict? (2) What role do extra-household social networks play in experiences of food security within households? (3) How useful is the concept of vulnerability for addressing experiences of risk which are negotiated between household members? In the informal settlement of 'Bangladesh', Mombasa, Kenya, conflict within domestic, especially conjugal, relationships represents a potential source of risk to food security for individual members or entire households. Contributing to this conflict are gender inequality, power differentials, the failure to meet marital expectations, and how people respond when presente with risk. Resulting experiences of food insecurity are shown to contribute to further conflict in the household, thereby creating a cycle of conflict and food insecurity. Those who find that they have insufficient food at home may receive assistance (food or money) from members of their social networks. However, these relationships may also contribute to experiences of conflict, and therefore insecurity, within households. Applying concepts of vulnerabilty to account for experiences of risk and their consequences (food insecurity) requires differentiating between what represents a hazard, a response, and an outcome. Within multi-person households, it is exceedingly difficult to divide lived experiences involving interpersonal conflict among these three categories. Thus, I argue that vulnerability is less useful for research concerning intra-household dynamics than it is for studies which assume households to be undifferentiated units.

Gender-based violence is a widespread health problem all over the world and in Tanzania, domestic violence and rape within marriage are widely spread. Since nursing students are likely to meet abused women within their future profession, it is important to explore their attitudes towards the subject. The aim with the study was to describe nursing students' attitudes towards domestic violence. The method used was descriptive, quantitative and the instrument used was a questionnaire containing questions from Domestic Violence Blame Scale (DVBS) and Domestic Violence Myths Acceptance Scale (DVMAS), two selfconstructed questions were also added. The respondents (n=30) were nursing students at KCM College, in Moshi Tanzania. The result shows that the general opinion among the students was that the likeliness of domestic violence to occur was affected by situational factors, such as family living conditions. Almost half of the respondents strongly agreed that the Tanzanian society was male-dominated, and that it contributes to the occurrence of domestic violence and many of the students thought that women instigate domestic violence and that they have themselves to blame. Since the result shows that many of the students seem not to fully understand the mechanisms of domestic violence and that they tend to blame the victim for the crime it is essential with more education on the subject. / Våld mot kvinnor är ett omfattande hälsoproblem över hela världen och i Tanzania är våld mot kvinnor, såsom våld i nära relationer och våldtäkt inom äktenskapet, vida spritt. Eftersom sjuksköterskestudenter troligtvis kommer att möta våldsutsatta kvinnor i sitt framtida yrke är det viktigt att undersöka deras attityder kring ämnet. Syftet med studien var att beskriva sjuksköterskestudenters attityder till våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer. Metoden för studien var deskriptiv, kvantitativ och instrumentet som använts är ett frågeformulär med frågor från Domestic Violence Blame Scale (DVBS) och Domestic Violence Myths Acceptance Scale (DVMAS), samt två frågor tillagda av författaren till studien. Respondenterna (n=30) var sjuksköterskestudenter på KCM College, I Moshi Tanzania. Resultatet visar att den generella åsikten bland studenterna var att situationen, som till exempel familjeförhållanden påverkar sannolikheten för att våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer ska uppstå. Knappt hälften av respondenterna höll med om att samhället är mansdominerat, vilket bidrar till förekomsten av våld mot kvinnor och många av studenterna tyckte att våld i nära relationer är en konsekvens av kvinnans eget beteende och att hon får skylla sig själv. Eftersom resultatet visar att många av studenterna inte fullt förstod mekanismerna kring våld mot kvinnor i nära relationer, och att de tenderade till att skuldbelägga kvinnan för brottet, är mer utbildning i ämnet av högsta vikt.