No abstract available. / Thesis (LL.M.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

Background: Worldwide, it is poor women who are at greatest risk of cervical cancer. These patterns are resonated in South Africa where black women, particularly in rural areas are at heightened risk for cervical cancer. The rate of morbidity and mortality due to cervical cancer has increased and in the year 2000, deaths as a result of cervical cancer in South Africa exceeded maternal deaths. This increase in morbidity and mortality has been associated with the emergence of HIV and AIDS. Cancer of the cervix was listed as an HIV-related opportunistic infection and an AIDS defining illness by the Centers for Diseases Control in 1993. This research documents the challenges of implementing cervical cancer services in the context of HIV. It explores structural, gender, societal, social exclusion and practical barriers to implementing these services. Methodology: The study was conducted using qualitative methods of enquiry which employed in-depth interviews to collect data from participants. Interviews were held with government officials, Section Nine institutions, non -governmental organisations working in the fields of cervical cancer and HIV/AIDS. Results: The study found that South Africa does not have a comprehensive policy to address cervical cancer in women living with HIV neither does it have plans to enact such a policy. It found that cervical cancer was a marginalised disease. It also found that cervical cancer does not always form part of health priorities as it falls outside women as mothers‟ brackets. The study found that the social status and the level of participation and active citizenship of women living with HIV might be one of the reasons for lack of prioritisation of cervical cancer policies. Conclusion: Cervical cancer is a marginalised disease because it affects women outside of their reproductive roles, can be defined as an STI and it affects women who live in the margins of society. Cervical cancer marginalisation could be linked to the discourse of lack of political will, advocacy and action in relation to women‟s health. Policies need to be nuanced from the perspectives of women living with HIV. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)--University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

The study-consisted of a survey questioning the respondents perceived social problems and issues facing women. The questionnaire was given to both Indian and African college students in Durban, South Africa. It was hypothesized that the Indian women would fit Rossi's Assimilationist Model of feminism. This was supported. It was also predicted that Assimilationist feminists would be more likely to name a women's issue when questioned about social problems. The opposite was found to be true. A much stronger relationship was found when race was used instead of the feminist model. Africans were much more likely to name women's issues with regard to family interpersonal relationships when questioned about social problems than were the Indian women. The latter listed structural issues such as poverty and race relations. One explanation could be that family issues are much more salient for Africans and structural issues are important to Indian women. / Department of Sociology

This study investigated the contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economic growth of the North West Province. The aim of the study was to identify the contribution of women entrepreneurs in the economic growth, to determine forces driving women to become entrepreneurs. The study also aimed at examining future challenges for women entrepreneurs as well as strategies to advance women entrepreneurs . The Quantitative research method was chosen for the study and the targeted population was women entrepreneurs and women interested in entrepreneurship in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp in the North West Province. A total of200 participants were selected for the study, 100 women entrepreneurs and 100 women interested in entrepreneurship. Stratified random sampling was used to randomly select a subset of 50 women entrepreneurs and 50 women interested in entrepreneurship. The primary instrument used to collect data from the selected respondents was the questionnaire. Data were collected, analysed and presented in tables and figures. The findings of the study reveal~ that women entrepreneurs made positive contributions on the economic growth of the North West Province. They create employment, reduce poverty, initiate businesses, build self-employment and expand their businesses. The study confirmed that women entrepreneurs lack skills, knowledge and experience in business. They do not get support in infrastructure, finance and education to run their businesses. The researcher recommended that women entrepreneurs should get training and education with regard to running a business. There should also be infrastructure, accessibility of technology, funding and support for women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs should get support from local governments and appropriate information should be made available to them. / (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2006

HN/AIDS in South Africa has grown to very serious proportions. An estimated number of 5.3million South Africans are infected with HIV and the majority of these infections are in the reproductive age group. Based on Annual Antenatal survey 2002,of the total 2.95 million were women aged 15-49, with an estimation of 91271 babies infected through mother to child transmission. Breastfeeding is said to be an ideal food for growth and development of a child. Given that HIV is transmissible through breastfeeding, the paper aims at examining patterns and attitudes towards breastfeeding in the era of HIV/AIDS. A total of 400 respondents drawn from Mafikeng district were interviewed. The majority were aged 20-39, never married, rural, unemployed with high school level of education. Areas of interest were knowledge about HIV/AIDS, patterns of breastfeeding and attitudes towards alternative methods of infant feeding for an HIV positive mother. Previous reports gave clarity to HIV transmission rates at various stages of life. Evidence has shown that rates of transmission are higher in early stages than late stages of life. Few weeks of life from 6-8 weeks may particularly be a period of high risk than ages above three months. Transmission might have occurred during pregnancy, labor or through breastfeeding, whereby data has shown that colostrums have high concentration of Human Immune Virus than mature milk. The study shows that breastfeeding is still regarded as an important infant feeding method that is ideal for child's growth and development but HIV infection is seen as a disturbing factor to successful breastfeeding. Fifty four percent of respondents did not breastfeed exclusively as promoted by UNICEF and WHO; mean duration for exclusive breastfeeding is two months, support is given by SADHS 1998, mean duration for complementary feeding is two months which gives an indication that more infants are at higher risk of contracting the virus should their mothers test positive which in turn gives rise to high infant /childhood morbidity and mortality rates. There is a need to strengthen and expand programmes such as VCT and PMTCT in all communities especially in rural setting where there is lack of pure water supply and proper sanitation. Efforts to reduce the risk of transmission should therefore be centered on promoting the understanding that mixed feeding or breastfeeding with supplementary feeding carries the highest risk of HIV transmission compared to exclusive breastfeeding or exclusive formula feeding. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc. (Population Studies) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Piertermaritzburg, 2010.

The issue of the criminalization of prostitution raises all kinds of legal questions, especially in South African law. Governments have adopted different positions regarding prostitution. South Africa has tried, by means of law, to crack down on prostitution. This dissertation discusses the question of prostitution as provided by s 20 (1)(aA) of the Sexual Offences Act 23 of 1957. Whether criminalization is the indicated way to lessen or eliminate prostitution determines the focus of the discussion. It seemed necessary to understand the topic, to present the most important systems for addressing prostitution, the South African model and its evaluation. A legal comparison is presented. The discussion looks also at international instruments, which place the emphasis on forced prostitution. There is, in South African law, a pressing need to enact laws in accordance with the Bill of Rights, and with the international norms to which South Africa is party. / Criminal and Procedural Law / LL. D. (Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure)

In this study, “Women and Cooperatives”, the researcher was interested in finding out whether women cooperatives contributed towards development of women and poverty reduction in Sarah Baartman District Municipality between 2004 and 2014. The study was conducted with three cooperatives situated in Makana Local Municipality, Sarah Baartman District Municipality and Eastern Cape Province. The cooperatives studied focused on sewing, poultry and agriculture. The study was explorative in nature as it was aimed at assessing the effectiveness of women cooperatives in empowering women, the effectiveness of women cooperatives in reducing poverty and to make recommendations regarding what can be done to address the challenges identified in the study. The qualitative research method was applied when conducting this study. Eight respondents from each cooperative were willing to take part and this led to a total of twenty-four respondents who participated. The questions asked were based on the interview schedule developed by the researcher. The results of the study and the recommendations indicated that more commitment from the government is required and the following key aspects should be taken into account when considering a development program: Infrastructure, Availability of funding, Access to resources, Skills development, Provision of basic services.

The objective of this study was to identify the strategies (personal and organisational) that would enable South African women to break through the glass ceiling. A questionaire was designed based on the strategies found in a literature study on the topic and used to gather inputs from executive women in South Africa. A combination of snowball and self-selection sampling was used. The questionaire was sent to 138 potential respondents, mostly by means of electronic mail. Of the 47 completed questionairs returned, 44 could be used. These were processed and anaylsed using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and the STATISTICA Version 6 software. In generaL, support was found for personal strategies pertaining to career management, networking (especially the relationship building activities), the reconciliation of home and work responsibilities with the emphasis on building a support system, education, business and organisational insught, skills development and increased input, but not for the assimilation of masculine attributes. Networking opportunities and education, training and development activities were regarded as the organisational strategies with the strongest impact on career progress. The literature was confirmed regarding top management support, an organisational culture conducive to women's advancement, mentorship programmes and a few career development initiatives. Although more than half of the respondents had been exposed to employment equity and affirmative action programmes, they were perceived to have only little to moderate impact on career progress. This was also the case with diversity management programmes. Flexible work arrangements, career adaptation schemes and childcare facilities and programmes were seen as having had little impact on the respondents' career advancement. Only a few of the organisational practices to support women balancing family and work responsibilities were utilised by the respondents' employers. Respondents perceived personal strategies as having greater value than organisational strategies in their progress to executive levels.

Early in 2003, African Muslims in Uitenhage’s township, Kwa-Nobuhle, learnt that Muslim women, led by Sheikh Nceba Salamntu, in South Africa’s Port Elizabeth New Brighton township, were allowed, contrary to previous practice, to follow a funeral procession right up to the graveyard. The resultant discomfort on the one hand, and excitement on the other caused by this event among Muslims in the township, forms the basis of this research. It gives focus to Muslim women, the ones most affected by their customary restriction from the gravesites. The researchi exposes the basis for women’s exclusion from funeral processions in the Muslim community. It was established that many of these Muslim women who challenged the practice were converts from Christianity to Islam. One of the bases for their action was that they were passive recipients of Islam. Furthermore, it was found that the exclusion of women from the funeral procession has no basis in Islamic writings.