This thesis represents a selective consideration of the relationships between gender, space and the law in early twentieth century Vancouver, based largely on the cases of sexual violence against women heard before the B.C. Supreme Court in the years between 1915 and 1925. Within these parameters, constructions of space and gender are addressed at three levels. Part one considers how both women and men were situated within early twentieth century legal discourse in the context of trials for sexual violence. Part two suggests how gendered understandings of urban space in early urban Vancouver were produced and reinforced within, and beyond, legal discourse. Finally, part three situates these processes within a wider context of statemaking in early twentieth century British Columbia. It is argued that legal processes were one mechanism by which space in fledgling Vancouver was coded in gendered and sexualized terms, and further, that these social meanings of space were fundamentally bound up with prevailing conceptions of race and class. / Arts, Faculty of / Geography, Department of / Graduate

The relation between dissociative symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was investigated in women who had experienced trauma or sexual assault. Subjects were administered the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), the Sexual Experiences Scale (SES), and the PTSD Interview (PTSD-I). Subjects were grouped according to their scores on the SES and the PTSD-I. Analysis of variance revealed a relation between DES scores and PTSD symptom severity scores. Correlational analyses showed a relation between dissociative symptoms and PTSD symptom severity but not recency of trauma. Three factors from a previously published factor analysis of the DES were found to contribute to the DES scores of PTSD subjects.

Bibliography: pages 204-228. / Historically Muslim women have been marginalised in the examination of Islamic texts and Muslim society. This has resulted in the non-recognition and silencing of women's perspectives as well as the concealment of some of the traumatic realities experienced by groups of Muslim women. Exacerbated by pervading social and religious notions of "private" families, the incidence of wife battery within Muslim societies have been largely hidden violence against wives is seen as the manifestation of a sexist and patriarchal ideology. This study examines the manner in which Islamic gender discourses inform and impact upon the phenomenon of violence against women. The related tensions between patriarchal and egalitarian Islamic perspectives are explored. This study involves a two-fold feminist analysis of gender ideology in religious texts and contemporary Muslim society. At the level of textual studies, I applied a feminist hermeneutic to medieval and contemporary Qur'anic exegetical literature. The examination of medieval period focused on the exegesis of Abu Jafar Muhumammad b. Jarir al-Tabari (839-922), Abu al-Qasim Mahmud b. Umar Zamakshari (1075-1144), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149- 1210). The study of contemporary exegetical literature concentrated on the approaches and exegeses of Fazlur Rahman and Amina Wadud-Muhsin. Hermeneutical debates on violence against wives were focused on the interpretations of the Qur'anic notion of female nushuz (Q.4:34). In examining contemporary Muslim society, I employed feminist qualitative research methodology. I interviewed a number of women from a South African Muslim community in the Western Cape. Here, the sample consisted of eight women with whom open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted. The interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. I found that interweaving levels of religious symbols and discourses shaped normative understandings of gender relations. This in turn had implications for both structural and practical discourses of violence against women in Muslim societies. Islamic gender ideology spanned the continuum from patriarchal to feminist approaches. Misogynist religious understandings reinforced the husband's right to control and coerce his wife, even if this implied the use of force. On the other hand, egalitarian Islamic perspectives prioritised the Qur'anic ethics of equality and social justice and rejected the violation of women. I argue that Islam provides numerous resources for the pro-active empowerment of women and the promotion of the full humanity of women.

This dissertation examines the question of girlhood as a social and legal category, within contemporary feminist frameworks. Turning to Jamaica today, girls are disproportionately apprehended by the law and sentenced to prison for a range of so-called deviant behaviors. Colloquially, they are known as uncontrollable girls, and the law that incarcerates them, the uncontrollable law. This dissertation examines how girlhood has long been a site of Jamaican governance. I argue that the figure of the uncontrollable girl and the uncontrollable law must be analyzed as a project of state building, revealing carceral and colonial logics from chattel slavery into the present. Further, I examine the perceived deviance or vulnerability that girlhood elicits—as a dissident body that transgresses, or an innocent class in need of legal protection. Drawing across multiple discursive domains—from archival travelogues, colonial acts and amendments, to contemporary newspapers, legal documents, Jamaican literature, and ethnographic fieldwork—the dissertation situates girlhood as an analytic lens through which we might better understand how Jamaican citizenship, rights, and political futures are forestalled or qualified. The historical particularity of Jamaica exemplifies the role the state plays in discursively producing and surveilling the domestic—from the intimate register of the family to the everyday lives of girls.

The purpose of this study is to tell the story of female victims of human trafficking from Ethiopia. It pertains to the cause of trafficking and how it affects their social and emotional wellbeing. The study is conducted in light of constructivist framework and involves in-depth interviews with five returnees whose experiences as victims are explored. This is done to get insight into the challenges faced by the wider population. Themes evident in the stories are discussed in line with relevant literature. The study shows lack of job opportunities, limited income and false promises made by brokers as the major factors drawing women into human trafficking. The findings also show that even after return, the victims experience further difficulties due to post-traumatic psychological factors. Looking at the significance of the research outcome, the gleaned information could be of value for organizations working on migration and countering human trafficking. / Investigation into the experiences of female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Experiences of female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

The purpose of this study is to tell the story of female victims of human trafficking from Ethiopia. It pertains to the cause of trafficking and how it affects their social and emotional wellbeing. The study is conducted in light of constructivist framework and involves in-depth interviews with five returnees whose experiences as victims are explored. This is done to get insight into the challenges faced by the wider population. Themes evident in the stories are discussed in line with relevant literature. The study shows lack of job opportunities, limited income and false promises made by brokers as the major factors drawing women into human trafficking. The findings also show that even after return, the victims experience further difficulties due to post-traumatic psychological factors. Looking at the significance of the research outcome, the gleaned information could be of value for organizations working on migration and countering human trafficking. / Investigation into the experiences of female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Experiences of female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Female victims of trafficking in Ethiopia / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Power imbalances and gender-based violence (GBV) have increasingly been cited as important determinants putting women at risk of HIV infections. Studies have shown that globally one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The study explored working women’s perceptions of power, gender-based violence and HIV-infection risks. A qualitative, explorative study was conducted among female employees in an airline business in Namibia. Five women participated in in-depth, face-to-face interviews. The findings show that all of the participants experienced power imbalances and GBV in their intimate relationships. All of the women reported emotional or psychological abuse, whilst the majority were subjected to economic abuse, followed by physical abuse, and two alleged having been sexually abused. The study concludes with specific recommendations for the development and successful implementation of workplace policy and programmes to protect and promote women’s rights. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Women and young people who have experienced domestic violence view themselves through an abuse-dominated lens, causing thin descriptions of themselves. Research was undertaken with seven women and eleven young people to explore how they had experienced domestic violence and to co-author and co-construct new stories of identity. This research addressed how a narrative pastoral approach guides therapeutic conversations with people who have experienced domestic violence. A narrative approach has at its heart the notion of decentred practice and an ethic of care. Reflective letters after each group meeting played a central part of the research. The letters were structured to tell the alternative stories emerging during and between sessions. These stories were told and retold and in each telling the women artd young people experienced alternative views of self and joined others in this re-writing. Participants spontaneously continued to meet beyond the completion of the research / M. Th. (Practical Theology)

The purpose of the current study was to examine Dutton's (1992) model of moderating and mediating variables which may impact the relationship of violence from an intimate partner with the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. This model was tested within three ethnic groups (African American, n = 303, Euro-American, n = 271, and Mexican American, n = 260), of low income, community women in serious, long-term relationships. The importance of the differences and similarities observed are discussed within a framework of the PTSD as well as domestic violence literature.

United Nation's (UN) millennium development goal number three is aimed at eliminating gender inequality and empowering women. Gender-based violence is recognised as a global public health and human rights problem that leads to high rates of morbidity and mortality, including sexually transmitted infections, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance dependence and suicide. In responding to this international public health and human rights concern, the South African government has adopted numerous public health communication strategies to highlight the plight of women and children. One of the campaigns that are conducted in South Africa is the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children (16 Days of Activism Campaign). This campaign was introduced in 1999 but the literature review reveals that to date, no studies have focused on its evaluation. As such, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the 16 Days of Activism Campaign with special reference to the Soshanguve community in Gauteng province. This study builds on two theories, namely the excellence theory and the diffusion of innovation theory. Mixed research methods (also called triangulation) was used whereby in-depth interviews were conducted with representatives from the Government Communication and Information System and the Department of Women, Children and People with Disability to establish the promotion strategies used in the campaign and the methods used to assess the effectiveness of the campaign. Furthermore, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted within the Soshanguve community to evaluate the promotion strategies and assess the impact of the campaign.This study revealed a high level of reliance on the television, radio and newspapers in the communication strategies. Both government departments acknowledged that they do not have a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign from the receivers‟ perspective. The Soshanguve community felt that in essence the campaign is relevant but not on time. The residents viewed the study as an important part of creating awareness about the campaign and they believed the campaign helped them to know what to do when faced with gender-based violence so that they can assist those who are affected by it.