Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)

La faculté de travailler et les droits qui se rattachent à l’exercice d’une activité professionnelle par les femmes résultent d’une longue évolution juridique en France comme au Cameroun et en dépit de la reconnaissance du droit au travail, diverses entraves subsistent et génèrent des discriminations. Les discriminations sont tantôt de fait, et trouvent alors leur fondement dans des mentalités rétrogrades, tantôt de droit et se traduisent par des insuffisances juridiques. Les outils juridiques de promotion des droits des femmes au travail et de la lutte contre toute forme de discrimination professionnelle ne sont pas totalement identiques en France et au Cameroun. Mais, les acquis d’un pays pourraient parfaitement être transposés dans l’autre pays. / The ability to work and the rights that go with women exercising a professional activity are the result of lengthy legal developments both in France and Cameroon. Despite recognition of this right to work, various constraints persist and give rise to discrimination. Discrimination is sometimes de facto, in which case it is based in retrograde attitudes, and sometimes it is legal, in which case it is manifested in legal shortcomings. The legal tools used to promote women’s rights at work and to fight against all forms of professional discrimination are not completely identical in France and Cameroon. Nevertheless, the gains of one country can be perfectly transposed onto the other.

The subject and the scope of this study are the challenges faced by Muslim women in contemporary societies as presented by the four prominent authors: Leila Ahmed, Elizabeth Fernea, Fatima Mernissi and Amina Wadud. The methodology applied to the literary analysis is the feminist-qualitative research approach in religious studies with specific reference to Islamic feminist studies. Many Muslim women scholars criticise the study of Third World women as objects of study-cases who are rarely heeded as serious scholars. Misconceptions about Islam and Muslim women are common in Western society. Previous studies have not dealt with the issue satisfactorily and failed to provide a holistic picture. The challenges faced by Muslim women have been interpreted against a Western feminist framework, thus causing more harm than good. The resultant predicament is the subject of this study in which Muslim women’s own attitudes and responses to their present circumstances and future prospects are explored. How and why Muslim women are challenged? How do they envisage the resolution of these challenges? The purpose of this study is to provide a framework that can give an adequate account of challenges as seen by Muslim women and to evaluate strategies that can provide suitable solutions to these challenges. Firstly, an objective Giele/Smock/Engineer framework was developed with reference to the most pressing challenges (articulated in well-documented definitions and descriptions) faced by Muslim women in contemporary societies. These key issues of women’s rights on political participation, education, work, family, and social participation were discussed and analysed in the light of this women-centred approach with specific reference to the writings of four prominent women authors: Leila Ahmed, Elizabeth Fernea, Fatima Mernissi and Amina Wadud. Each author has brought her own particular perspective and area of expertise into the discussion – sometimes arguing among with the other authors in a virtual ‘roundtable’ discussion; at times joining hands in mutual agreement. Finally, Muslim women’s struggle against injustice was subjected to critical scrutiny with particular attention to common strategies and solutions that the four authors have used and developed in the light of the modern debate. It is in the latter discussion that the study reached its ultimate goal by determining how the challenges have been met. Moreover, Islamic feminism was assessed to determine how it related to and coped with social change and how effective it has been in seeking to assert rights of and find justice for women through historical, anthropological, socio-political and hermeneutical approach. / Religious Studies / D. Th. (Religious Studies)

Proceeding from the premise that the meaning of performances flows from contextual, textual, and nonverbal elements, this dissertation explores layers of meaning arising from performances of selected South African struggle songs, poems and plays. In particular, it focuses on performances of the Mayibuye Cultural Group which functioned as an adaptive mechanism in the changing sociopolitical landscape of the 1980s and early 1990s, and on contemporary performances. The analysis of the songs, poems and play underscores the importance of nonverbal elements for the interpretation of performances, and proposes that performances functioned as debate and as a discursive presence in the public sphere. In particular, the performances glorified a masculine conception of the struggle and of South African society which highlighted the fragile gender politics in South Africa, and functioned as a vibrant mechanism for the expression of sanctioned criticism especially for the marginalised and for those at the fringes of power. / Anthropology / M.A. (Anthropology)

In recent decades, men’s violence against women has been perceived as an increasing problem in our societies. Men’s violence against women are nowadays also classified as a serious crime against human rights. The violence in an intimate relationship between a man and a woman restricts the woman’s sense of freedom and justice. The violence results in violation of the women’s rights to a private life.  It's usually the physical and sexual abuse of women that is the center in legal contexts within the scope of domestic violence against women. It’s therefore necessary to examine other specific forms of domestic violence within the legal scope in Sweden and the European Convention on Human Rights. This study has focused on the psychological abuse against women as a form of domestic violence. The psychological abuse against women is a serious matter in the Swedish society. This study has examined whether the psychological abuse against women is included in the Swedish criminal classifications. It has also examined whether the psychological abuse is, or should, apply within the state’s positive obligations especially in article 8 in the European Convention.  The results of this study have shown that Sweden do not have legal security for all forms included in psychological violence even though it’s such a serious issue in the Swedish society today. It has also shown that the right to privacy and a private life may be one of the reasons why Sweden hasn’t come up with a criminal provision against psychological abuse against women. Women’s right to a private life and freedom from all forms of abuse are therefore not fulfilled under the state’s positive obligations without this criminal provision, according to the positive obligations that article 8 in the European Convention should provide to all individuals.  Key words: Human rights, Women’s rights, State’s positive obligation, Domestic violence, Psychological abuse, Intimate relationship, Private life, European Court, European Convention on Human Rights, Swedish legal context.

Violence against women continues to be an issue that severely impacts women worldwide. Since the global spread of the #MeToo movement in 2017, debates regarding this issue significantly increased. Yet the precise ways in which women are impacted by violence, heavily influenced by their unique and diverse aspects of identity, are often disregarded. By focusing on two of these aspects of identity, namely gender and nationality, and comparing the circumstances of sexual violence against women in Germany, Nigeria, and South Korea, this thesis aims to showcase the diverse experiences of ‘being a woman’ and what this implies regarding the issue of sexual violence against women. With an additional analysis of four important international conventions aimed at ameliorating women’s lives (UDHR, CEDAW, DEVAW, and BPfA) regarding their acknowledgement of this diversity and guided by three theories, namely Multi-Ethnic Feminism, Feminist Postcolonialism, and Intersectionality, this thesis highlights the necessity of including everyone and their unique experiences with all kinds of discrimination to adequately tackle an issue such as sexual violence against women.