M.Cur. / With this research it was endeavoured to gain more knowledge about the experiences of women during the treatment of infertility. The midwife and other medical staff involved with the treatment of infertility can use this knowledge to have better insight into the total problem of these women and also care for and support them better. A study of the literature was done to determine what the experts have already ascertained of this phenomenon. An in-depth study of the phenomenon was undertaken in which the autobiographical method was mostly used. During April 1989 unstructured interviews were conducted with six selected infertile women living in the witwatersrand area. From the findings of this research it appears that infertile women have unique experiences of their infertility and the treatment of it. Universal experiences, ego pain and disappointment were identified, although the causes of these experiences sometimes differed. Recommendations were made on how the midwife can contribute by filling the gap (established during the research) in the care in this field. Suggestions were also made with regard to further research on this phenomenon.

M.Ed. (Educational Management) / This study is part of the SANPAD (Southern African Netherlands Partnership for Alternatives in Development) research project. It seeks to answer the research question, how do women principals experience curriculum leadership at schools in disadvantaged communities in the Gauteng East District? The dawn of South African democracy gave rise to many changes and awoke many dormant issues, one of which was the issue of equity in the workplace. This extended into the sphere of education. There are many women who have managed to penetrate this equity barrier and reach positions of leadership in schools. I conducted this research at three schools, which are located in disadvantaged communities in the Gauteng East District in Gauteng Province in South Africa. For this qualitative research I used observations and semi-structured interviews to elicit data from the participants. During the analysis of this data the following themes emerged: (1) exercising a successful leadership style; (2) the principal as a curriculum leader; (3) socio-economic profile of community and its impact on curriculum; (4) striking a balance between family and school and (5) stakeholder participation and support. This study reveals that women principals continue to experience challenges within school; from the community outside school and in their personal lives. Stereotyping still exists, especially in communities where men are still privileged over women. Women principals need a support structure to persevere as curriculum leaders. This research project concludes with suggestions and recommendations for future research.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2017. / Introduction: Evidence suggests that pregnant women who lead sedentary lifestyles and have a poor knowledge of exercise during pregnancy are at risk of developing diseases like gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and low back pain along with many other chronic conditions. An exercise program during pregnancy has benefits for both the mother and the child. No studies have ascertained the knowledge and practices of exercise in pregnant women in South Africa, furthermore, there was a need to conduct research regarding exercise amongst South African pregnant women, particularly to determine whether any barriers to physical activity exist. Aim: To compare the knowledge and practices of pregnant women regarding exercise during pregnancy between a selected private practice and public clinic. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive, cross sectional survey was used in this research study. The population consisted of pregnant women (n = 400) attending both public and private sector antenatal care in the Ethekwini municipal area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Public sector participants were drawn from the Addington Hospital public antenatal clinic and private sector participants were drawn from the gynaecological practice of Dr D Sankar. Purposive, stratified sampling was used. Following the signing of an informed consent form, data was collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire. A minimum sample size of 324 patients was calculated by the statistician. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages were used to describe the demographic profile of respondents and their physical activities. Inferential statistics, including Chi-Square tests of association and student t-tests were used to determine differences in proportions and means respectively between the two categories of participants. Odds ratios (OR) were calculated to ascertain the measure of association between a risk factor and an outcome. Results: There were 198 (57.6%) participants from the private gynaecological practice and 146 (42.4%) from the public clinic at Addington Hospital. The mean age of the study population was 27.65 ± 5.3 years. Almost half of the study population were Indians (46.2%). Blacks made up the second largest proportion of the study population (39.2%). More than half of the study participants were involved in exercise during their pregnancy (57.1%). However, only 37% of the study population met the international criteria of physical activity, which is 30 minutes of moderate -intensity aerobic exercise, per day, for 5 days a week, during pregnancy as set out by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (2002). However, there was evidence of unstructured physical activity which increased the level of acceptable physical activity in the majority of participants 82.1%. Walking was the most common activity that the women engaged in from both the private sector (88.8%) and public clinic (89.3%). The average time spent on walking was more than 30 minutes a day. Household chores and climbing stairs also increased the levels of physical activity within the participants. Only a minority of participants (35.4%) stated that they were diagnosed with an adverse health condition, which prevented them from exercising. Some participants who did not exercise reported that fatigue was the reason for not being physically active (51.6%). Conclusion: Interventions need to be implemented to increase the knowledge of physical activity amongst pregnant women and the benefits that are associated with it. An attempt needs to be made by health practitioners to try and increase the level of physical activity among pregnant women, so that they may benefit from its effects. / M

Women living with HIV have a variety of reproductive health and psychosocial needs. The purpose of this critical ethnographic study was to examine how HIV, empowerment and reproduction are experienced by a volunteer sample of HIVpositive women attending public health care facilities in Gauteng. Feminist and critical approaches were used to guide the methodology of the research and the interpretation of the findings. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and observation. An overview of literature pertaining to the social construction of HIV-AIDS, women’s empowerment and reproductive decision-making is presented. A discourse of “healthy lifestyle” as technologies of the self is considered. Women’s empowerment as an ideal is described and structural barriers to its achievement are discussed. Stigma and discrimination as products of hegemony are discussed as important issues in the disempowerment of women living with HIV. HIV-AIDS as illness experience is reviewed with reference to the social context and to the individual context. Reproductive decision-making models and theories are critically analysed for their applicability to women living with HIV. The need for a conceptual shift in the notion of empowerment in order to understand constrained decision-making for women living with HIV is propagated. The stories of women living with HIV and dependent on public health care services are presented. Through the principles of a critical ethnography the lived experiences of these women are described by means of emerging themes. A historiography of family planning and HIV-AIDS services throws the narrations of the research participants into broader historic relief. Findings revealed that biomedical hegemonic power contoured and marked the lived experiences of women following an HIV-positive diagnosis. Taken-for-granted views of passivity and of own responsibilities regarding reproductive health are challenged. The women in the study were dependent upon public health care personnel for treatment, testing, dietary advice/supplementation and recommendations for a social xii disability grant. ARV-treatment was regarded as a low point in the illness career. All of the participants reported that the overriding problems in their lives were having too few material resources and not having the means to change this. This made them vulnerable to compounded health problems and decreased their ability to voice their own opinions about treatment. They did not regard themselves as having been at risk for contracting HIV and some harboured resentment towards men who were seen as being absolved from testing and responsibilities towards female partners, born and unborn children. Women who were not tested as part of antenatal sentinel groups tended to suffer symptoms of ill health for some time prior to being tested for HIV. Social support systems were either absent or consisted of trusted family members and friends. In many cases, women became the silent care-givers for those affected and infected by HIV. Anticipated stigma permeated the participants’ narrations of living with HIV and disclosure of their statuses was difficult. The use of male condoms, stressed during counselling sessions, was narrated as a difficult burden for women to bear. Although the research participants expressed low fertility preferences, HIV-AIDS was seen as disrupting the link between heterosexual conjugal relations and the taken-for-grantedness of procreation. HIV-AIDS also disrupted norms in infant feeding practices and bottle-feeding was regarded as a sign of possible HIV-infection and hidden. The research participants were not empowered with knowledge about how to deal with side-effects, condom failures and the reluctance of male partners to be tested for HIV. They enacted, resisted and lived with HIV in different ways, incorporating some of the biomedically prescribed posturing as women living positively and blending it with stigma-negating performances and gender-prescribed ways of dressing, walking and acting. Participation in a support group validated their experiences and promoted positive self-perception. The formation of a collective voice in the support group was hampered by irregular attendance, the interference of community leaders and horizontal violence. Power relations, yielded by biomedical hegemony, androcentric sociocultural practices, material deprivation, fear, discrimination and stigma potentially undermined the women’s abilities to become empowered. Expansion of choices in various spheres or fields and collective action xiii are proposed as dimensions to be added to an empowerment-of-women approach to the problems of reproductive health in the age of HIV-AIDS. The contribution of the study as an emancipatory project is evaluated and implications for policy and practice are suggested. On a methodological level, this study is a demonstration of the contribution to be made by a micro-level, critical analysis to the body of knowledge about female reproductive health in the era of HIV-AIDS in South Africa. On a theoretical level, this study contributes to a wider conceptualisation of women’s empowerment by recognising the interplay between micro-level elements of situated experience, knowledge and preferences and the macro-level elements of sociocultural, biomedical and material influences on health and reproductive behavior.

The research seeks to evaluate how the South African government has conceptualised gender through the use of the concepts of WID and GAD. This research has been conducted through the analysis of the Draft Strategic Framework on Gender and Women's Empowerment a document of the Department of Trade and Industry that was formulated to address and redress the issues of gender equality. It has some sound suggestions that seek to identify strategies to improve women empowerment through financial independence. As a result they have used various approaches in order to provide strategies that are mindful of the „needs‟ of the women. Accordingly they have formulated a policy that understands who these women are and have made recommendations of strategies that different groups of women can identify with. They have included the marginalised rural and disabled women and even gone as far as catering for younger women still at school. However there has been concern at the impact that the exclusion of men has contributed, therefore it is important to find ways in which to make men more involved.

M.A. / NISAA was established in 1994. It is one of the first organisations dealing with women abuse in Lenasia and the surrounding areas. The organisation has great potential in becoming a recognised institution in South Africa. Women who are in distress, have no where to go and are left abandoned have a shelter with NISAA. In the short period of its existence NISAA has strived hard to uplift and assist women. Counselling and treatment is offered on a daily basis by professionals and trained personnel. However, many needs still have to be met and research has shown us that not nearly enough is being done for those who are being abused, be it wife abuse or child abuse. The processs of research is presented in five stages and covers, the problem statement, the literature survey, research methodology, analysis, conclusions and recommendation. The survey of the literature is very important in this study. South Africa has become epitomised by a rapidly changing social order, swiftly unfolding political development and an unprecedented fluidity in the thinking of future opinions. The attitudes and perceptions of domestic violence and violence in general needs to be changed. The chapter on research methodology stresses the importance of feminist organisations. Feminist organisations' role is vital in any study on woman abuse, as research on woman abuse began with these organisations. Methodology in this study also focuses on the qualitative nature of battering, research and the relevant themes surrounding battering. These themes include woman abuse, intervention. treatment and shelters. Other important aspects discussed is coding of data, research design, sampling and interviewing procedures. The analysis and results shows that NISAA has made a significant contribution to battering of women. From the results of this study, NISAA has become an important structure and service in the South African society. The services NISAA should expand on include, a safe and positive crisis help, as well as promoting the rights of all victims. Important to the growth of NISAA is alleviating the funding problem. Other relevant findings discussed are attitudes and perceptions of women abuse and services that encourage and discourage the use of NISAA. These findings compliments. Gishen's (1993) study on the Power Organisation. Recommendations made to NISAA are based on the findings of this research. This research hopefully will expose abuse, help women to achieve recognition in its fight against abuse and in its quest for the empowerment of women. The research was also intended as an educative process. This study entails the physical and psychological abuse of women which has become a global problem. The problem needs to be addressed, understood, analysed and treated. An effective solution must be found.

Afrikaans: Bemagtiging is tans in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika 'n essensiële en aktuele onderwerp veral in die ontwikkeling van vroue, gemeenskapsorganisering, sowel as in die progressiewe strewe na vrede en sosiale geregtigheid. In die samelewing is groot getalle persone, veral vroue, magteloos en is dit dus noodsaaklik om hierdie belewenis van magteloosheid te beklemtoon in die hantering en verbetering van maatskaplike probleme. Die doel van hierdie studie is om 'n maatskaplikewerkprogram te ontwikkel wat afgestem is op die bemagtiging van die gedepriveerde vrou ten einde haar maatskaplike funksionering te verbeter. Gedepriveerde vroue is vasgevang in 'n siklus van probleme wat hulle maatskaplike funksionering beïnvloed. Maatskaplike werkers pas beperkte intervensiestrategieë toe om verandering by die vroue te weeg te bring. Ten einde intervensiestrategieë te kan selekteer wat sinvolle verandering teweeg bring, moet kennis geneem word van hoe gedepriveerdheid die vrou se maatskaplike funksionering belnvloed. Hierdie aspekte of faktore moet aangespreek word deur gedepriveerde vroue te bemagtig om verandering te inisieer en instand te hou. Die studie is gebaseer op 'n literatuuroorsig oor die maatskaplike wanfunksionering van die gedepriveerde vrou, asook die benutting van selfdirektiewe groepwerk as bemagtigingstrategie. 'n Maatskaplikewerkprogram is ontwikkel ten einde die gedepriveerde vrou te bemagtig, en haar instaat te stel om maatskaplik optimaal te kan funksioneer in die samelewing. Die aanname van die studie is soos volg: Indien gedepriveerde vroue deur middel van selfdirektiewe groepwerk, deelneem aan 'n maatskaplikewerkprogram wat afgestem is op haar behoeftes, kennis en vaardighede, sal sy bemagtig wees om maatskaplik beter te kan funksioneer. Die gevolgtrekking van die studie is dat 'n maatskaplikewerkprogram wat gebaseer is op selfdirektiewe groepwerk, 'n effektiewe hulpmiddel kan wees om: • bemagtiging by gedepriveerde vroue te bewerkstellig • haar instaat te stel om meer effektief in die samelewing te kan funksioneer en • sin en betekenis in haar lewe te ervaar Uit hierdie studie word die afleiding gemaak dat die maatskaplikewerkprogram, wat ontwikkel is met die oog op bemagtiging van die gedepriveerde vrou wat maatskaplik wanfunksioneer, as maatskaplikewerkintervensie in die praktyk toegepas kan word ten einde die impak van die program vir die bemagtiging van die gedepriveerde vrou te evalueer. English: Empowerment in the Republic of South Africa is currently an essential and topical discussion subject, particularly in the fields of upliftment and development of women, community organising, as well in the progressive striving towards peace and social justice. In the present social environment there are large numbers of people, especially women, who are powerless and it is thus of paramount importance that this socio-political reality of powerlessness, be highlighted in the management and betterment of social problems. The purpose of this research is to develop a social work program specifically aimed at the empowerment of the currently a typical deprived woman so as to improve her social functionality. Deprived women are caught in a vicious cycle of obstacles, which directly impact on her social standing. Social workers apply a limited range of intervention strategies to enable a change in circumstances relative to such women to evolve. However, to be able to select such intervention strategies which will result in meaningful change, there must be real understanding of how such a deprived state of being influences the woman's social functionality. Empowering currently deprived women must address these factors and their nuances so that they themselves initiate change and maintain the new status quo. This research is based on a written and recorded overview of the social malfunctioning of the deprived woman as well as the employment of self-directed group work and interaction as an empowerment strategy. A social workers program is developed to achieve the empowerment of deprived women and to allow her to operate at an optimal level in the social environment. The assumption of the research is as follows: Provided deprived women partake through the medium of self-directed group work and intervention, which is solely directed at their particular requirements, knowledge and skills levels, will they become empowered and better enable to function socially. The findings of this research is that a social management program which is based on self directed group work and intervention can be an effective tool to: (1) achieve empowerment of the deprived women, (2) allows her to function more effectively in the social environment on a sustainable basis and (3) allows her to experience sense and purpose in her life. From the results of this research, it can be concluded that the social management program IS developed specifically for the empowerment of deprived women. The social work intervention is applied in practice to allow for the impact of the program on the deprived women to be evaluated. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

There is a growing body of research aimed at understanding social support during pregnancy in South Africa. Pregnancy is constantly referred to as one of the challenging and stressful periods affecting women’s physical and psychological well-being. Various research studies on social support argue that social support is paramount at this stage. Research on social support indicates that having adequate and quality social support impacts on how pregnant women experience pregnancy. My interest in social support comes in the wake of absent fathers in South Africa and with the emerging trend of “new” fathers. Although there is a volume of research on social support, it tends to be realist. Using a social constructionist framework, I explore other ways of talking about social support in an attempt to expand the discourse around social support. I explore how pregnant women talk about social support during pregnancy from their intimate partners in the small rural municipality of Elundini, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Intimate partner support was limited to heterosexual partners regardless of their marital status. The sampling procedure followed a non-probability sampling method. Participants of the study were between 24 and 32 years old. Their gestational age ranged between five and eight months. Fourteen in-depth interviews using photo-elicitation were conducted with seven participants and were analysed using a social constructionist informed thematic analysis. The major theme that emerged from the analysis was partner involvement and absence during pregnancy. The analysis of results suggests that expectant father presence translates to social support. Participants constructed his presence as reassurance in the context of possible abandonment. Absence was constructed in different ways: participants constructed absence as unjust and unfair, absence and marriage, temporary absence in the form of cultural phenomenon of ukwaliswa/ukubukubazana, absence as normal but burdening to the pregnant women’s social network. Participants reported that social support from the expectant father affected pregnancy wantedness.

Bibliography: leaves 166-172. / Isihlonipho Sabafazi (the Xhosa women's language of respect) is a language in which syllables occurring in the names of menfolk are avoided by women. Thie thesis attempts to place the practice in it social context by applying both descriptive and analytical methodologies. The thesis include a literature survey and a critique on the dynamics of gender and language. The results of interviews conducted in three areas, one urban and two rural, are analysed and tabulated. A glossary of substitute words is included.

A dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of D. Litt. In Communication Science University of Zululand, 2001. / In this dissertation, I present the results of an analysis of the role of female body image in the promotion of commercial products in magazines that are available in South Africa at the beginning of the 21st century. The South African legislation is progressive towards promoting gender equality. But the central problem is that there are still gaps between the progressive legislation and the attitudes and beliefs of South Africans towards gender equality, particularly in the use of female body images in magazine adverts by the advertising industry. This gap between de jure and de facto is due to gender differences and stereotypes that have been entrenched in every aspect of our lives (for example, in language, culture, religion, and so on). According to Deacon (1997:376-410) and Pease and Pease (2000:60-61), because of the gendered social environment in the ancestral world, our brains (as females and males) evolved differently within the continuing gendered social environment. So, our fore brain, which is responsible for thinking, reasoning and planning processes, has helped us to reconstruct our gendered social environment by the formulation of legislation that promote human rights including the right to equality. However, the legislation on equality is not sufficient to reconstruct our environment. The evidence is that within the good legislation that has been made in South Africa, the advertising industry is continuing with the biased portrayal of female and male body images in the magazine adverts, in particular. Besides, the female body image is still portrayed in stereotypical roles. For example, the female is presented in passive roles and as objects as well as sex objects. However, the consumers do not adequately challenge the advertising industry about this gendered portrayal of the female body images in magazine adverts because the consumers themselves have a gendered view of the world. Therefore, other social programmes (in schools and communities) should supplement legislation that has been made in order to try and reconstruct the gendered social environment in South Africa. But, there are still areas for further research in the area of gender and body image to try and uncover the effects that the body image has on the consumers.