Housing Delivery in Nthutukoville, South Africa: Successes and Problems for Women

This paper examines the notion of empowerment and what it entails in housing development. Through a critical analysis if the different phases in one particular housing project analyzed by the author, the paper highlights the areas of empowerment and emphasizes that it is a process, which in the case of Nthutukoville in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa began with securing land tenure. Access to resources and acquisition of skills are important. Both external and internal factors may be responsible for women’s inability to take charge of their lives. External factors include political violence, unsupportive local authorities, and a hostile environment as well as lack of resources and skills. There is, however, often an internalized problem of the failure to challenge the prevailing gender ideology that reinforces women’s subordination and male dominance in power. Although state policies may be favourable, women, through mobilizing resources, negotiating with authorities, and strategizing must be responsible for their own empowerment

Educational experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents in pregnant minor education program

The objective of this study was to inquire into the educational experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescents enrolled in a pregnant minor program and represent their voices by documenting this inquiry. This is a qualitative study that utilized phenomenological perspective and included a series of three in-depth interviews with six pregnant and parenting students. The focus and aim of the study was to represent the participant\u27s voices on their educational experiences. The participants were pregnant teenagers attending a program in Southern California in the United States of America

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels in children with mild and severe atopic asthma

Background: Asthma is a chronic respiratory illness affecting an estimated 334 million people worldwide, including 14% of the total pediatric population. It results in significant morbidity, and therefore the etiologies and risk factors associated with asthma are of great interest. Serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) has substantial immunomodulatory effects on the innate immune system. It reduces the probability of viral respiratory infections and asthma exacerbations by potentiating the anti-inflammatory action of corticosteroids. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between children with mild and severe atopic asthma and explored the correlation between various comorbidities and severity of asthma in children. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional. Recruitment was done at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi (AKUHN). Participants were classified as having either mild or severe asthma as per the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guidelines of 2019 (1). The analysis was stratified based on the severity of asthma (mild and severe) and compared using chi-square for categorical variables while continuous data were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. Multivariable analysis was employed to ascertain the association between severity of asthma and various comorbidities with a statistically significant p-value being less than 0.05. Results: Seventy children were recruited into the study with a median age of 5 (IQR: 3-7) years. The median (IQR) serum 25(OH)D levels in the mild and severe asthma categories were estimated as 26.8(23.5-32.9) and 24.6(21.0-31.8) ng/mL, respectively. This difference was not statistically vi significant. In the multivariable analysis; family history of asthma, BMI, age and allergic conjunctivitis were not significantly correlated to severe asthma. Conclusion: The level of serum 25(OH)D was not significantly associated with the severity of asthma. No association between known comorbidities and asthma severity was found

Introduction: Women’s Activism for Gender Equity in Africa

This special joint issue of the Journal of International Women’s Studies (JIWS) and WAGADU focuses on women’s activism and women’s movements in different countries and cultures throughout Africa and the African Diaspora. The project represents a collaboration between two online, open-access journals that address gender and women’s issues within a transnational and cross-cultural context. The essays, which are distributed between the two journals, use interdisciplinary feminist and activist approaches to reveal the different forms of personal and communal actions being undertaken by African women today in cultural, social, economic, and political arenas. In showing the diversity of African women’s activism; the underlying issues around which activism develops; and the impact of women’s activism on individuals, communities, and nations, this dual project has relevance for women and men throughout the world

Present but Absent: Women in Business Leadership in South Africa

Women constitute forty six (46) percent of the economically active population in South Africa. Although both South African, African men and women are well represented in the economically active population, questions arise when it comes to their presence and effective representation at higher decision-making levels. Indeed, while African men and White women are present, White men dominate in top management. Through a gender analysis of current data on the labour force, this paper examines women’s representation in top decision-making for all employers (government and business) in South Africa. In discussing the trends, the paper highlights gender disparities in the advancement of women into top decision-making positions. The analysis further explores and identifies areas that need redress in bridging the gender divide in top management not only because of employment equity requirements, but also for the good business sense it makes to include women in leadership. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of the barriers to women’s advancement in business leadership and the recommendations for policy and practice both at the micro- (firm) and macro- (national-) levels

Accessing Housing Finance in South Africa: The Role of Women Activism

Women’s history in South Africa is replete with examples of exclusion, discrimination, and marginalization. The transition to democracy in 1994 and inclusion of gender equality in the post-apartheid constitution in 1996 were seen as steps in the right direction towards addressing women’s oppression and creating gender equity in accessing housing finance. The subsequent formulation of policies and institutions meant to achieve gender equality put women’s concerns in the public domain. However women’s access to capital and housing finance in particular remain challenges in accessing improved housing. An exploration of women’s position with regard to housing finance points to the ways in which women were systematically excluded from accessing housing during apartheid. While the post- apartheid housing policies have been inclusionary to women, access to finance from both the traditional and non-traditional housing finance institutions remains a challenge. This paper argues that women’s involvement in rotating savings schemes has been key in providing them with finance for the consolidation of subsidized housing in South Africa. Although micro-credit institutions continue to respond to women’s need for housing finance, equality in access to housing finance will only be achieved when all the role players, both formal and informal, remove the obstacles that constrain women’s access to capital and credit for investment in housing development

Gender-based Household Compositional Changes and Implications for Poverty in South Africa

Poverty is one of the most challenging socio-economic problems in South Africa. Though poverty rates have been substantially reduced in the post-apartheid period, many South Africans remain poor. Available evidence also indicates a substantial gender gradient to the prevalence of poverty in the country. A standard indicator of gendered power structures is the gender of the household head. We examine the effect of transitioning from a male- to a female-headed household over time (relative to remaining in a male-headed household) on changes in the probability of transitioning into poverty from a non-poor state over a two- to six-year period. This type of longitudinal analysis is largely lacking in South Africa, where most previous studies have largely focused on cross-sectional and repeated cross-sectional analyses. The results indicate that transitioning from a male- to female-headed household is associated with an increase in the probability of falling into poverty from a previous non-poor state. The results hold true across all poverty lines and also indicate that the effect of gender-based transitions is not significant in the short term (i.e. for the one-period transitions), but over more persistent transitions

Coping strategies of women micro-enterpreneurs : the case of women curio sellers of the Durban beachfront.

Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of Natal, Durban, 1997.The dissertation examines the coping strategies of women curio sellers of the Durban Beachfront. In order to know the coping strategies employed the study looked at the problems that the curio sellers face. The understanding of the women's coping strategies by the service providers while addressing the needs of the curio sellers was also examined. The Fieldwork was conducted at the Durban Beachfront among a total of 35 women drawn through the accidental and snowball sampling techniques. Findings: Women curio sellers experience problems related to recognition of their work, capitaVcredit, shelter, accommodation, crime and laws that impede their business operations. Though these problems are quite crippling, women are not entirely helpless. They cope. The coping strategies of the curio sellers are both individual and collective. The individual coping strategies are used to deal with immediate problems and the collective strategies are used to tackle problems that women would not resolve as individuals. The collective efforts are transfonnative in that they seek to change women's position. The effectiveness of the coping strategies is demonstrated by the number of women that employ them and the gains made by using the strategies. Through collective coping strategies women have been able to get the authorities to act on the problems they face such as crime, shelter and accommodation. Coping strategies have implications for participation in endeavours to resolve the problems faced by the curio sellers. The service providers are aware of the problems faced by the women and some of the coping strategies that the traders employ. The service providers have made efforts to resolve the problems of the women but these efforts have not been fruitful. Women's coping strategies appear not to have been taken into consideration and their participation has not featured much in the planning and implementation of the programmes aimed at assisting them. For development programmes to be effective and sustainable, women's coping strategies need to be taken into account in the planning and implementation of development programmes

Effect of Firm Characteristics on Financial Inclusions: Evidence from Women Owned Enterprises in Kenya

The aim of the paper was to establish firm characteristics on financial inclusions; evidence from women owned enterprises in Kenya. This study employed positivism approach while adopting an explanatory survey research. The target population of study comprised 8000 women owned SMEs in the North Rift Region Economic Bloc Counties. Cluster sampling was employed to group SMEs in seven Counties, while simple random was used to select a sample size of 723. Using multiple regression model the findings revealed a negative and significant effect of firm age on financial inclusion and firm size has a positive and significant effect on financial inclusion. These results are useful in informing policies around educating women SMEs. Government of Kenya has invested enormous resources into SMEs growth. Therefore, these results will be used to package the literacy education geared on factors that contribute highest to financial inclusion. From the findings of the study, older SMEs are encouraged to keep up to date of the trends in business

The Moderating Effect of the Listing Sector on the Relationship Between Capital Structure and Financial Distress of Non-Financial Companies Listed in Kenya

This paper sought to investigate the moderating effect of the listing sector on the relationship between capital structure and financial distress of listed non-financial firms in Kenya. In total, non-financial firms are listed across seven sectors depending on their primary commercial activity. Capital structure was operationalized by total debt, long-term debt and short term debt financing. The degree of financial distress was measured using the Altman’s Z-score index as reviewed for the emerging markets. Secondary data from audited and published financial statements was collected for the 40 listed non-financial firms for 10 years between 2007 and 2016. The study estimated the specified panel regression model for fixed effects as supported by the Hausman test results. Feasible Generalized Least Squares (FGLS) regression results revealed that the listing sector has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between capital structure and financial distress of non-financial firms. On the basis of these empirical findings, the study recommended that managers of listed non-financial companies should always consider the sector-specific factors in making leverage choice decisions for their entities. Keywords: Capital Structure, Financial Distress, Listing secto