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Women are increasingly being recognised internationally as essential actors in successful water supply management. Despite this, women are nevertheless still being excluded from water management activities which have proved to frequently result in water project failure. This has great consequences for water supply and water distribution capacity and efficiency. Women‟s exclusion often stems from traditional and deeply rooted gender differences where women, compared to men, are not given the same rights and opportunities. Therefore, in particular focuses in this study are cultural barriers and socio-economic obstacles and challenges that may hinder female participation. Although Ghana is considered to have rich water resources, the production, distribution and use of water is not efficient, sufficient, or sustainable. This impedes the country‟s socio-economic development. Most affected are women and children as they are often directly linked to the water source through their role as water collectors. In relation to this, the study investigates the importance of women‟s participation in water management within the Republic of Ghana. Furthermore, the study examines the efficiency and adequacy of measures and actions implemented to improve female participation in water supply management.  For data collection, a case study approach was adopted including an in-depth literature review, interviews with essential actors in Ghana and document analysis of Ghana‟s National Water Policy and National Gender and Children Policy. Interviews and documents were analysed with a content analysis and a comparative analysis approach.  The study found that women in Ghana, despite acknowledging their important role in Ghanaian water „society‟, experience great limitations in their participation in water management. Traditional norms and practices constitute a major obstacle together with a strongly male-dominated society that often prevents women from participating in the public sphere. The study indicates that there is a need to reform the legal system and the procedures of enforcement to encourage female participation in the water management. Furthermore, the Government of Ghana ought to improve financial, human, and material support within its agencies and associates to facilitate and enable female involvement. Moreover, there is a great need to improve women‟s rights to, and attendance in, education. Additionally, raising the awareness of gender and women‟s issues in general is crucial in order to initiate changes of traditional norms and practices and consequently improve their participation in the water management. By reforming Ghanaian women‟s situation, their role and status will be strengthened, not only within water management, but as well in the wider society.

Of the 2,858 licensed competitive road cyclists in Texas, female cyclists only account for 12%. The gender disparity in participation numbers suggests possible underlying barriers to entry, recruitment, and retention of female athletes compared to that of male cyclists. The current study sought to understand such issues by exploring the entirety of the competitive road cycling experience of female cyclists in Texas. To accomplish such a task, the current study utilized a mixed methods design consisting of content analysis, interviews, and an online survey. Integrating methods allowed for a more comprehensive understanding of the individual as impacted by structural, socio- cultural, and individual factors and further reveals how such factors are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. Results revealed how socio-culturally informed gendered attitudes and norms heavily impact structural policies, rules, and regulations within competitive cycling. Subsequently, structural factors influenced individual choices, attitudes, and behaviors. Further, results emphasized that individuals are complex beings, and although shaped by their environment, embody personal agency, resistance, and coping. Individual decisions, attitudes, and desires subsequently shaped socio-cultural norms and structural processes. Finally, structural reform strategies are suggested to help increase female participation and retention rates within competitive road cycling in Texas. / text

The purpose of this research was to investigate first-year tertiary programming students' perceptions of their learning environment, based on the subgroups of gender and "new arrivals" (immigrant and international students of diverse nationalities, culture and educational backgrounds). The literature provides strong evidence that the nature of the learning environment for females studying computing can be uninviting and may be influential in the low rates of female enrolments and retention compared with males. Studies indicate that the cultural norms and artefacts of computing, the minority status of women in computing courses, attitudes, language, experience and institutional context all contribute to a learning environment that proves unattractive and can be detrimental for some women. In recent years, there has been an increased enrolment by New Zealand educational institutions of new arrival students. Research suggests that new arrival students, who leave their home country to live and study in a foreign land, experience difficulties in their learning environment and often have problems adjusting to living and studying in their host country. This research used a mixed-method design to investigate first-year computer programming students' perceptions of their learning environment at three tertiary institutions in Wellington, New Zealand. A survey, the College and University Classroom Environment Inventory (CUCEI), was completed by 239 students, yielding quantitative data about students' perceptions of their Actual and Preferred learning environment. In addition, 28 students, selected to represent gender and new arrival subgroups, participated in interviews and 11 hours of observation were conducted in programming classrooms. / The findings from the survey indicated that students perceived their learning environment with some satisfaction but they suggested improvements relating to the innovation and individualisation dimensions of their learning environment. The perceptions of the student subgroups, defined by gender and as new arrivals were investigated. Although the findings from multivariate analysis of variance of the CUCEI results did not identify differences between the subgroups the interviews revealed wider equity issues and concerns that highlighted differences amongst students of the sex and origin subgroups. Recommendations, based on the study's findings, include suggestions to improve institutional policy relating to the organisation of teaching practice and some cautions about the further use of the survey. The findings have important implications for creating a more equitable and positive learning environment for all students.

This paper examines the relationship between female participation in top management and firm performance and capital structure. Additionally, we assess whether this relationship differs at Female Friendly versus Non-Female Friendly firms. Today, women account for nearly half of the total labor force, but constitute less than one tenth of Fortune 500 Top Earners. This warrants further exploration, and thus, we hope to understand the impact gender has on firm value. After controlling for industry, size, age, leverage, and other firm specific measures, we find that female participation in top management is associated with a higher interest coverage ratio. We then investigate the difference between firm classifications and find that Female Friendly firms tend to outperform their Non-Female Friendly counterparts on the basis of operating profit margin and tend to carry a more levered capital structure. This exploration offers foundational evidence to fuel a new direction for this conversation—enacting corporate policies that better accommodate the female talent pool may allow firms to access a source of competitive advantage.

<p>The study concentrates on a particular type of state intervention in social policy. It considers whether policy reforms and subsequent provision of information with regards to the issue of parental leave and part-time work arrangements, makes an impact on gender equity in the labour market (Del Boca, 2002 / Naldini &amp / Saraceno, 2008). Giddens&rsquo / theory of structuration is the conceptual framework from which this study approaches these questions. It is thus held that agents (in this instance, women) are constrained by structures (labour policy framework and institutionalised labour practices) to achieve specific social goals. And further: that the apparent lack of power on the part of agents requires intervention on the part of the state apparatus to correct the failure (or inability) of the labour market to deliver the social justice as aspired to in the cited European Employment Strategy, as well as fostering economic efficiency (Barr, 1992). I further contend that not only are agents constrained by structural properties, but that institutional reform (in the form of labour policy reform) is constrained by the human action1 of the management of firms and enterprises as economic agents within the policy framework.</p>

<p>The study concentrates on a particular type of state intervention in social policy. It considers whether policy reforms and subsequent provision of information with regards to the issue of parental leave and part-time work arrangements, makes an impact on gender equity in the labour market (Del Boca, 2002 / Naldini &amp / Saraceno, 2008). Giddens&rsquo / theory of structuration is the conceptual framework from which this study approaches these questions. It is thus held that agents (in this instance, women) are constrained by structures (labour policy framework and institutionalised labour practices) to achieve specific social goals. And further: that the apparent lack of power on the part of agents requires intervention on the part of the state apparatus to correct the failure (or inability) of the labour market to deliver the social justice as aspired to in the cited European Employment Strategy, as well as fostering economic efficiency (Barr, 1992). I further contend that not only are agents constrained by structural properties, but that institutional reform (in the form of labour policy reform) is constrained by the human action1 of the management of firms and enterprises as economic agents within the policy framework.</p>

Magister Economicae - MEcon / The study concentrates on a particular type of state intervention in social policy. It considers whether policy reforms and subsequent provision of information with regards to the issue of parental leave and part-time work arrangements, makes an impact on gender equity in the labour market (Del Boca, 2002; Naldini & Saraceno, 2008). Giddens' theory of structuration is the conceptual framework from which this study approaches these questions. It is thus held that agents (in this instance, women) are constrained by structures (labour policy framework and institutionalised labour practices) to achieve specific social goals. And further: that the apparent lack of power on the part of agents requires intervention on the part of the state apparatus to correct the failure (or inability) of the labour market to deliver the social justice as aspired to in the cited European Employment Strategy, as well as fostering economic efficiency (Barr, 1992). I further contend that not only are agents constrained by structural properties, but that institutional reform (in the form of labour policy reform) is constrained by the human action1 of the management of firms and enterprises as economic agents within the policy framework. / South Africa

Previous research has laid out different answers and explanations to why there is variation in female participation and sexual violence respectively. However, less attention has been attributed to investigate the relationship between female participation and sexual violence. In fact, the causal processes between these variables remains under-theorized and unclear. The aim of this study is to contribute theoretically by examining under what conditions NSAGs with female participation engage in sexual violence. Moreover, a novel classification of different types of female participation is introduced. This study argues that NSAGs with subordinate female participation are more likely to engage in sexual violence, compared to NSAGs with strategic female participation. Using a structured focused comparison method in a most-similar case study design, the suggested hypotheses are tested on two cases, UNITA and the EPLF. The results of the study find support for the theorized relationship. According to the findings of this study, I argue that the investigation of women’s roles and gender norms and hierarchies should be particularly considered when studying female participation in NSAGs and sexual violence in armed conflicts. Yet, data limitations and availability call for caution. Lastly, this study points to the need for greater attention and collection of data on female participation in armed organizations. Furthermore, the need for specified and disaggregated data as well as concepts beyond the non-combatant and combatant dichotomy is needed in order to further assess the relationship between female participation and sexual violence, as well as to tailor appropriate policies for its prevention.

Submitted by Rosina Valeria Lanzellotti Mattiussi Teixeira (rosina.teixeira@unisantos.br) on 2017-08-15T19:21:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Edson Rossetti Alves.pdf: 5658359 bytes, checksum: dcd3219ba11c75d2492c26b37c23ab85 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-15T19:21:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edson Rossetti Alves.pdf: 5658359 bytes, checksum: dcd3219ba11c75d2492c26b37c23ab85 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-03 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / This present study investigates the journey of the history¿s course, in the period of teacher Yza Fava de Oliveira¿s management. This research gives highlight to the instruments that the course organized to reach its development goals on historic research, patrimony defense and construction of the Baixada Santista¿s knowledge. Among others, Documentation Center, Folk Studies Center, Historical Study Center, Archaeological Research Institute, History Week. Using documentary research served of the main collections of the Department and the support organs. The interviews made with the coordinator were equally important. That was important because it completed some doubts found in the documentary sources and motivated other ways of looking at reality. Besides the written documentation, the iconographic collections of the teacher and Department were important. It was also possible to have a preliminary view of the Course, under the school practices. / A presente dissertação investiga a trajetória do Curso de História, no período da gestão de 16 anos de professora Yza Fava de Oliveira. Nessa pesquisa dá-se destaque aos instrumentos que o Curso organizou para alcançar os seus objetivos de desenvolvimento da pesquisa histórica, defesa do patrimônio e construção do conhecimento da História da Baixada Santista. Entre outros, o Centro de Documentação, Centro de Estudos Folclóricos, Centro de Estudos Históricos, Instituto de Pesquisas Arqueológicas, Semana de História. Utilizando pesquisa documental serviu-se dos principais acervos do próprio Departamento e dos órgãos de apoio. Igualmente importante foram as entrevistas feitas com a própria coordenadora. Isso foi importante, pois completou algumas dúvidas encontradas nas fontes documentais e motivou outros modos de olhar a realidade. Além da documentação escrita, foram importantes os acervos iconográficos do próprio Departamento e de professores. Conseguiu-se, ainda que preliminarmente, ter uma visão do Curso, sob as práticas escolares.