A study was conducted to explore the impact on change which a process of participatory research has on capacity building for the general assistants within the Northern Province in terms of the mission statement of the Office on the Status of Women between July 1997 and September 1998. The mission of the office is as follows: " ... to establish mechanisms and procedures that will move the province towards gender equality, thereby empowering women to have equal access to opportunities and resources which will enhance their quality of life". The target group for Office on the Status of Women is women within the government service irrespective of race and socio-political status. These general assistants were said to be the "left behind" group when issues affecting women like National and International Women's Days are celebrated. Themes of concern were identified and addressed. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Text in English / Previous studies have reported a high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among adolescent girls. It is estimated that there are 5,24 million people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). These estimates would mean that about 2.36 million people living with HIV/AIDS would be young women and girls aged 15-24 years. The latest household survey conducted by the Human Science Research Council (HSRC) revealed that the prevalence of HIV is three to seven fold in girls and young women aged 15-24 than boys and young men (HSRC 2014) This resurgence in HIV incidence is occurring at a time when it is believed the epidemic has reached a plateau following aggressive behavioural, biomedical and structural interventions by the Department of Health, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) and civil society in general. A probability sampling method, involving a random selection of elements was used to select 130 young women and girls aged 18-24 presenting at Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital by simple random sampling. Data were collected by self-administering questionnaires. High unemployment and greater age-disparity in the relationships were found to have a direct correlation with HIV incidence in the population under study. This study also shows that inconsistent condom use, low rate of medical male circumcision of male partners, coupled with lower HIV counselling and testing than the national average, was associated with new HIV infections, in spite of high level of condom availability, knowledge of HIV issues and an exposure to an array of behavioural change communication interventions. / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

Systematic Theology & Theological Ethics / (M.Th. (Systematic Theology))

The purpose of this research was to describe and explain crimes against women in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was conducted by means of a literature review, followed by empirical research, based on police dockets, against the background of Seligman's theory on learned helplessness. The literature review was used to design a research schedule. The schedule was used for data capturing from police dockets from the Crime Information Analysis Centre (QAQ at their Gauteng Regional office in Johannesburg. From this data, a convenience sample, consisting of 303 cases, was compiled. These cases were reported at the charge offices of Pretoria-Moot Villieria, Pretoria-North, Pretoria-West Eersterust and Hillbrow, for the period between 1 January 1997 and 1 March 1998. Finally, recommendations are made for the design of preventative strategies, and suggestions are made for possible future research. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om misdade teen vroue in die Gauteng Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te beskryf en te verklaar. Dit is gedoen aan die hand van literatuurstudie, en is uitgebrei met 'n empiriese ondersoek wat op polisiedossiere ebaseer is, teen die agtergrond van Seligman se teorie van aangeleerde hulpeloosheid. Die literatuurstudie is gebruik om 'n skedule te ontwerp. Die navorsingskedule is gebruik vir datavangs uit polisiedossiere. Die polisiedossiere van die Misdaadinligting-Analisesentrum (MIAS) van Gauteng se streekkantoor in Johannesburg is gebruik vir die samestelling van 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef bestaande uit 303 gevalle. Hierdie gevalle kom uit die aanmeldings by die aanklagkantore van Pretoria-Moot/ Villieria, Pretoria-Noord, Pretoria-Wes, Eersterust en Hillbrow, en wel tussen 1 Januarie 1997 en 1 Maart 1998. Ten slotte word aanbevelings vir die ontwerp van voorkomingstrategie gedoen en voorstelle vir moontlike toekomstige navorsing gemaak. / Criminology / M.A. (Criminology)

This dissertation describes the participatory development process which was facilitated among the parents of children attending Themeli Nursery and Pre-school in the community of Ramaphosa, an informal settlement near Reiger Park, Boksburg (Gauteng-South Africa). The focus of this study was empowerment of men and women alike. In the course of the process, the researcher discovered how the men and women in question were empowered by the participatory development process which enabled them to start a Stokvel, the aim of which was to help augment the members' financial resources so as to sustain payment of their children's day care fees and to also enhance corporately the spirit of ubuntu among themselves as local community members. / SOCIAL WORK / Thesis (M.A. (SS--Mental Health)

HEARING ALL THE DRUMS: TOWARDS A MORE INCLUSIVE CONGREGATION is about increasing the participation of women in positions of both leadership and church ministry praxis within the Seventh Day Adventist church in South Africa. Women have been excluded in the office of elder, and have been generally excluded from preaching during the worship hour. The research process followed a participatory way of doing research, while using theories on social construction and post-modernist epistemological approach. The theologies that inform this work are contextual in nature and include African and Feminist theologies. In the pursuit for change, however, care is maintained to use inclusive practices that attempt to avoid polarising the congregation and their concomitant theologies. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Therapy)

Culture and religion have both healthy and unhealthy effect on the leadership development of women in Africa. In this regard, the impact of especially African Pentecostal Christian discourses, as well as Vhavenda cultural discourses, on the lives of women leaders are brought to the surface through literary reviews, questionnaires and interviews. Accordingly, the data obtained by means of these methods are analysed using existing theological and cultural hermeneutics methods. Furthermore, they are deconstructed in terms of a vhusadzi (womanhood) perspective of empowerment regarding women in the ministry, which is applicable in an African-South African context. The present role of women in Pentecostal churches in the Venda context is studied historically and critically with reference to a future of empowerment. It is found that the leadership role of women in the ministry in Pentecostal churches in Venda is faced by certain challenges, which include rereading the Bible from the perspective of women in partnership with men, validating women’s ordination in dialogue with patriarchal interpretations of presumed biblical prohibitions on women’s ordination, rescoping cultural influences on church leadership roles, which are supported by Venda proverbs and rituals and reframing perceptions of women in the ministry amongst church leaders and the laity. The unique contribution of this thesis is, firstly, its focus on Pentecostal women in Venda. Secondly, a vhusadzi perspective is formulated that has never been done before in the literature. This perspective encompasses the experiences and expectations of Vhavenda women living in the Limpopo Province in South Africa. Thirdly, a link is drawn between culture, religion and ministerial leadership with a gender focus that produces new knowledge of the relationship between religion and culture as it manifests itself in a Venda context. The vhusadzi approach is informed by the bosadi approach of the Old Testament scholar, Madipoane Masenya, and feeds on her insights into women’s access to the interpretation of biblical texts. The vhusadzi approach takes these insights further by applying them to Vhavenda women’s access to leadership roles in the church. It opens up the future for further research, inviting African women scholars to contextualise issues related to women’s ordination. / Systematic Theology and Theological Ethics / D. Th. (Systematic Theology)

Women’s procreative capacities and the appreciation of birth experiences have always been recognised in civil society and the early days of psychology. Given that our culture is one that emphasises a woman’s capacity to bear children as one of the greatest social achievements, the social responsibility to procreate and ensure collective survival becomes a potent mandate, especially so for Black African women. To fulfil this social responsibility, traditional African culture dictates a very specific process of pregnancy which involves a series of watershed moments, each of which requires that social support, of whatever form, should be available. This study explored the role that social support from significant others and health professionals play in mediating psychological issues during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatally among Black African women in Madadeni Township in KwaZulu-Natal. The study was rooted in the interpretive, qualitative paradigm and a phenomenological research design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select participants who were aged from 18 to 25 years with a baby older than two weeks but less than six months. Semi structured interviews were conducted in the mother tongue of the participants until the point of saturation where no new information arose from the six participants interviewed. Thematic content analysis was used to extract recurrent themes across participants. The results indicate that social support, especially from parents and partners, plays a defining role in helping women to cope with the stress experienced during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatally. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology: Research Consultation)

This study investigates the role of social support in women coping with divorce in mid­ life. Five women were interviewed and a qualitative analysis undertaken, in order to explore the subjective experience of social support during the period of separation and divorce, and its effect on post-divorce adjustment. In particular, the usefulness of formal support groups was examined. It was found that most of the women derived perceived social support from friends and female family members, as well as from their church membership and work environment. It appeared that social support facilitated adjustment in several ways, but most notably in providing esteem support and emotional support which enabled personal growth. All of the women felt that they had developed a sense of their own identity through the process of divorce. Support groups were found to be potentially effective in providing assistance in dealing with emotional issues such as anger and forgiveness, as well as practical and informational support. Such groups might also provide a temporary community where divorced women can interact with other people who are experiencing the same things, thereby freeing them to grieve. The study illuminated the subjective, often unique experience of separation and divorce; this emphasises the challenge for support groups to offer support which addresses this uniqueness. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)