Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Gender equality and access to basic water services are complexly interlinked objectives for both poverty alleviation and sustainable development. In South Africa, research shows that despite the emphasis on mainstreaming gender equality in the water services sector, (and the concomitant policies and structures) the lives of poor women in this sector are not substantively being transformed. This study was therefore aimed at deriving principles that would enhance the impact of gender mainstreaming in the water services sector, and at evaluating current South African guidelines according to these principles. The study was qualitative in nature, and both theoretical and empirical information was used to derive the above principles. The initial literature survey indicated a need for a systemic approach to gender mainstreaming in the water services sector. Therefore, theoretical information was principally obtained from literature on poverty, sustainable development, complexity theory, feminism and governance. Empirical information was obtained from three sources, namely (1) participant observation of the meetings of the Strategic Advisory Group on Gender of the Water Services Sector Leadership Group (WSSLG), (2) individual interviews with a range of stakeholders, and (3) focus group interviews with community members involved in six water services projects – three each in the Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga Provinces. The study resulted in a proposed framework of fourteen focus areas for gender mainstreaming in the water services sector. These focus areas, along with illustrative questions, are the following: (1) Policy premises and formulation (Is the policy premised on equity and poverty alleviation?) (2) Approach to gender mainstreaming (How is the 50/50 campaign being implemented?) (3) The role of the gender officials (Is the gender focal point part of the strategic management team?) (4) Co-operative governance (Are IDP officials and women’s organizations involved?) (5) Public participation (Is the public participation process adequately resourced?) (6) Advocacy and awareness raising (Do family gender relations feature in awareness raising initiatives?) (7) Access to basic services (Are women specifically targeted in service provision?) (8) HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence (What measures are in place to decrease the risk of disease?) (9) Economic empowerment (Are the employment opportunities created sustainable?) (10) Leadership by women (How is the leadership capacity of women being developed?) (11) Capacity development of women (Is the training aimed at portable skills?) (12) Project/programme management (What monitoring and evaluation processes are being used?) (13) Environmental sustainability (What measures are in place to conserve water and reduce pollution?) (14) Engaging with traditional culture (How are restrictive cultural traditions addressed?) When the above framework was applied to the WSSLG Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan (DWAF, 2005), the WSSLG strategy was in certain respects found to be non-responsive to the learning garnered in this study. Particularly, the WSSLG strategy neither adopts a poverty alleviation approach, nor addresses environmental sustainability and traditional culture. It also does not facilitate co-operative governance and programme management. Finally, gender inequality in the water services sector impedes both poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Systemic solutions are required, and these study results might be germane to these.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

The need to carry out an analysis of gender issues in development stems from a concern about the persistent inequalities surrounding African rural women. Women assume social and economic roles inside and outside the household but their contribution does not receive due recognition. Having being excluded from crucial decision making processes, their productive roles have been secondary to their reproductive responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to highlight the negative impact imposed by gender oppression on women's economic and social progress. This necessitated an in-depth review of literature that included journals, books, newspaper articles and general publications. The review reflected that women have undisputedly faced social, cultural, economic, political and educational barriers and that simple rhetoric has not done much to alleviate women's subordinate position and dependency on men. Finally a suggested plan- of action followed to provide an axis around which gender issues in development should revolve. / Development Studies / M. Admin. (Development Administration)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Management Science: Public Management (Peacebuilding), Durban University of Technology, 2017. / The thesis examines the operations and outcomes of the Self Help Groups (SHGs) in Matetsi ward. It examines the causes of conflicts and consequences of the conflicts in the SHGs. This is achieved by adopting the conflict transformation approach. Succinctly, the theory views conflict as not necessarily destructive, but as a vehicle for change. This therefore, has implications for one’s understanding of the causes of conflicts. SHGs have been adopted by rural women so that they can work collectively to address their socio-economic problems. The study was conducted in Matetsi ward, Hwange District where conflicts within the groups were broadly detected. The information used in the study were produced from face-to-face interviews, focus group discussions, minute books and testimonials throughout field work in the designated ward. The study exposed that conflicts in the study location emanated from delays in loan repayments by SHG members. Individuals’ failure to fulfil their obligations of saving and returning loans on time created tensions which in turn resulted in conflict among the group members. The conflicts became complex and recurred due to unaddressed animosity, fear and anger, resulting in frustrations in the groups. Conflicts in the groups also led to the collapse of some of the groups. The research findings indicated that SHGs were not only sources of income for rural women, but also represented a yearning for self-sufficiency among rural women in spite of the socio-economic strife in Hwange District. / M

M.A. / In the former Republic of Venda, many people lost their jobs when industries that had mushroomed during the 1980's pulled out of the area. This happened just prior to the collapse of the Bantustan government. The most affected were women who, because of lack of education, could not get employment within and outside of the province. As a way of alleviating poverty, people resorted to selfemployment and community development projects. Different community development projects were started throughout Venda. Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) helped women who were unemployed by giving them training and help them to start projects such as sewing, knitting, chicken farming, creches and small-scale gardening. The training of people in different skills was done as a way of helping to equip communities so that they may start projects that they could manage, and that could become selfsustainable. The new South African government, through its Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), also assisted the poverty-stricken rural areas to start generating projects that would generate jobs for the people. These programmes involved the communities, the NGOs and the government through the RDP. Short and long term projects that were considered suitable by the members and community developers in the different areas were started. In order to maintain the smooth running and the co-ordination of all their projects, many communities instituted Community Development Committees (CDC). The CDC was an umbrella body within a community whose members had been elected by the community itself. The main task of the CDC was to help the different `Community Development Project' (CDP) committees responsible for the different projects within the community to obtain funds from different sources. They also helped to organise training for interested project members. In most cases, they worked hand in hand with the civic association committees and the traditional leaders, as well as the community members themselves. In this study, I have compared the activities of the community gardening projects within two rural communities. These two gardening projects are at Mangondi and Tshisahulu rural areas in Venda within the Northern Province. In their attempts to fight unemployment and poverty, these two communities (like many other communities within the Province and Venda in particular) embarked on the establishment of several community development projects, gardening being one of them. Most of the gardeners in these two projects are women. These women vary in age, education and family situations. The aim of this study was to establish the problems facing rural women in their attempts to free themselves from the grip of poverty and unemployment that continues to render them marginalised. The provision of government policy on the problem of women's rights on land ownership was also examined. The method of research used in the collection of data during field work was the interview method. This method was most preferred because it allowed me an opportunity to ask questions directly to these gardeners most of whom cannot read or write. A literature study was done on the role and activities of women in small gardening projects and the development process. It is my wish that this work be of assistance to the development workers and the policy-makers as well as the RDP officers of the Northern Province under which this area falls.

Despite decades of gender research and public action by civil society, policy makers continue to neglect the role of women as breadwinners who work at improving the socio-economic conditions in rural areas such as Wooldridge, a traditional rural village in the Amathole district of the Eastern Cape Province. The apartheid system created an environment that continues to perpetuate both poverty and gender inequality in rural areas. Hence, rural women in Wooldridge still experience poverty, despite welfare benefits. They are located in a poverty-stricken area without basic infrastructure and with little or no access to economic assets. They use primitive methods and indigenous knowledge to develop survival strategies. This study argues that unemployed rural women in Wooldridge cannot survive without assistance from government. Indigenous knowledge and agricultural as well as non-agricultural activities are critical to household livelihoods in Wooldridge. These activities are an important route through which these rural women can escape poverty. The primary objective of this research was to obtain a better understanding of how unemployed rural women survive in Wooldridge. Furthermore, the necessary conditions required to sustain livelihood in the rural areas were identified. This was mainly done to help alleviate the plight of rural women in Wooldridge and to improve the quality of life of the rural population. The aim is to generate a policy response to rural women that is economically development-oriented. The study was based on five research objectives. The first objective was to identify the survival strategies of unemployed rural women in Wooldridge; the second to ascertain what can be done to alleviate the plight of rural women in Wooldridge. The third objective was to ascertain what has been v done to address the needs of rural women in the Wooldridge area by actors of development, such as government and non-governmental organisations. The fourth objective was to identify the constraints faced by unemployed rural women in Wooldridge in achieving food security and generating income, with the last objective to make recommendations regarding policies that can enhance rural economic development and assist unemployed rural women to reduce poverty. The main finding in terms of the first research objective is that the survival strategies of unemployed rural women are welfare benefits, the selling of assets, remittances, handicraft production and vegetable gardens. In terms of the second research objective, the main finding is that investment in human capital through the empowerment of women will assist them in improving the quality of life of the Wooldridge community. Empowerment involves skills and training, education and access to basic services, expertise regarding credit, land, the growing of vegetables and income-generating projects. The main finding in terms of the third research objective is that the Peddie Women Support Centre that is located in the city centre of Ngqushwa does not have the capacity to reach out to rural areas. Rural women in Wooldridge have not received responses to their plights from government or from development practitioners. These actors of development play an important role in empowerment. In terms of the fourth research objective, the main finding is that structural constraints hinder the economic activity of rural women in Wooldridge. Government policy that encourages investment in infrastructure using labour-intensive methods will eliminate service backlogs in underserviced areas such as Wooldridge. The main finding in terms of the fifth research objective is to ascertain the impact that new legislation can have to ensure that rural women have the same access and entitlement to land and resources as women from urban areas. Furthermore, service-improvement programmes should be developed and micro-enterprises and agricultural and non-agricultural activities that will generate income and employment should be encouraged in order to reduce poverty in Wooldridge.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Public Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / Refer to document

PHDRDV / Institute for Rural Development

Thesis (M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / This dissertation describes a study undertaken in Limpopo Province and is based on the LADEP Project which was created through an established working partnership of the Finnish government and LDA extension services. The study aimed to assess the impact of women food security projects on household food security. For many poor people globally, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, food security continues to be a challenge today. The poverty levels and increase in the prevalence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, reduced rainfall accompanied by changing climatic patterns, environmental degradation, the complexities associated with urbanization, globalization as well as technology shift in the agricultural sector and capitalistic market economies all play a role in the food security crisis. The study investigated the dynamics of food security in two villages in Limpopo Province: Jopi and Ntsako. This research has highlighted some of the factors that influence food economy and food security of poor rural dwellers. Achieving household food security for poor rural households requires an integrated approach in terms of poverty eradication as well as deliberate efforts with regards to food production and distribution within a framework of ecological integrity, with an aim of empowering the poor and ensuring that their household food security is guaranteed. The basic finding, and the one which impacts directly on the household food security of Jopi and Ntsako projects is that the majority of the people in these village depend on government grants, and are therefore classified as poor. However, as a survival mechanism, some women with experience in agriculture have resorted to farming, as well as initiating group farming projects to improve their socio-economic situation. Given the threats to sustainability of these projects, the study recommends that the government to mobilize financial resources to support the activities of these projects. There is also an increased demand for more training on various aspects of management and production for members to maximize output. The study also identifies the significance of a continuous monitoring and evaluation of projects on a regular basis.

MPM / OR Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies / There is a problem with the involvement of women on governance within traditional communities in South Africa. Consequently, the socio-political and cultural constraints narrow the potential of women and the otherwise untapped women contribution to the growing economy. This study investigates the involvement of women in governance within traditional communities in South Africa using the Ga- Machaka Village in Molemole Local Municipality as a case in point. Using the mixed method research approach, the study indicates that women in traditional communities are looked down upon and are disadvantaged from being part of governance and public administration based on gender terms. The study indicates that traditional communities in South Africa implicate negatively on women’s independent rights such as direct and equal opportunity to job offers. This is exacerbated by the customary inclination of women as house wives. The involvement of women in governance and public administration is somehow stifled within traditional communities as discussed in this study. / NRF