An Exploration of Gender and Disability in the Workplace

Intro: Intersectionality argues that individuals who have multiple minority identities, such as gender and disability, have been found to experience unique difficulties in socio-cultural environments, such as employment. Statistics show that women with disabilities have been found to experience more difficulties in securing employment and more disadvantages once in employment compared to non-disabled women. This study aims to further our understanding of the intersection between gender and disability in terms of both recruitment and mainstream employment in the United Kingdom. Method: This cross sectional, qualitative study was based on semi-structured interviews with seven women, who had various physical disabilities and had experience of various types of mainstream employment. Findings: Thematic analysis identified numerous themes based on the experiences discussed in the interview data: 1) discrimination in recruitment processes, 2) career changes as a result of individual impairments, 3) accessibility to work environment, and 4) support, which was a central theme to emerge split between: a) support given which included accommodations and co-worker support, and b) support needed which centralised on the current lack of understanding and empathy the disabled women experienced in employment. Discussion: The specific work environment can impact on the type of experiences disabled women face and the difficulties experienced resulted from a combination of accessibility issues, lack of support and the limitations of the women’s disabilities. Difficulties attributed to disabilities in the workplace were found to be enhanced by experiences specific to women, such as pregnancy. Conclusion: Overall, it appears that although there is evidence that the intersection of disabled women’s combined identities affected their experiences, disability was arguably the more salient identity. Furthermore, it appears that the disabled women's self-identity was often in conflict with projected stereotypical social-identities, especially in certain socio-cultural employment environments. Career changes due to impairment, accessibility to workplace and a lack of support were the most shared experiences across the interviews

In brief: a profile of children living in South Africa using the National Income Dynamics Study

Children Count brief published in collaboration with the Centre for the Analysis of South African Social Policy, Oxford University

NAMOD: A Namibian tax-benefit microsimulation model

This paper provides an account of the construction of a tax-benefit microsimulation model for Namibia (NAMOD) which is based on the EUROMOD platform F6.0. Previous research on social security provision in Namibia is reviewed and the current social security, personal income tax and value added tax arrangements are outlined. Various strengths and weaknesses of the Namibian Household Income and Expenditure Survey (NHIES) as an underpinning dataset for NAMOD are highlighted. In particular, the income data in the NHIES is problematic and so analysis of the impact of policies on poverty should be treated with caution. In spite of these challenges, NAMOD provides a starting point from which government can explore issues such as promoting take-up of grants or making changes to the social security system

Tax-benefit microsimulation modelling in Zambia: A feasibility study

This study presents the findings from a feasibility study on the potential for developing a static tax-benefit microsimulation model for Zambia. The paper focuses on the details of the tax-benefit system and possible data sources, building on information collected in the initial scoping study of all countries in the Southern African Development Community and East African Community. The paper concludes with an assessment of the feasibility of producing a tax-benefit microsimulation model and its potential sustainability into the future

Loss of Genetic Diversity with Captive Breeding and Re-Introduction: A Case Study on Pateke/Brown Teal (Anas chlorotis)

Pateke/brown teal (Anas chlorotis) have experienced a severe population crash leaving only two remnant wild populations (at Great Barrier Island and Mimiwhangata, Northland). Recovery attempts over the last 35 years have focused on an intensive captive breeding programme which breeds pateke, sourced almost exclusively from Great Barrier Island, for release to establish re-introduced populations in areas occupied in the past. While this important conservation measure may have increased pateke numbers, it was unclear how much of their genetic diversity was being retained. The goal of this study was to determine current levels of genetic variation in the remnant, captive and re-introduced pateke populations using two types of molecular marker, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and microsatellite DNA. Feathers were collected from pateke at Great Barrier Island, Mimiwhangata, the captive breeding population and four re-introduced populations (at Moehau, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island). DNA was extracted from the base of the feathers, the mitochondrial DNA control region was sequenced, and DNA microsatellite markers were used to genotype individuals. The Great Barrier Island population was found to have only two haplotypes, one in very high abundance which may indicate that historically this population was very small. The captive breeding population and all four re-introduced populations were found to contain only the abundant Great Barrier Island haplotype as the vast majority of captive founders were sourced from this location. In contrast, the Mimiwhangata population contained genetic diversity and 11 haplotypes were found, including the Great Barrier Island haplotype which may have been introduced by captive-bred releases which occurred until the early 1990s. From the microsatellite results, a loss of genetic diversity (measured as average alleles per locus, heterozygosity and allelic richness) was found from Great Barrier Island to captivity and from captivity to re-introduction. Overall genetic diversity within the re-introduced populations (particularly the smaller re-introduced populations at Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi Island and Mana Island) was much reduced compared with the remnant populations, most probably as a result of small release numbers and small population size. Such loss of genetic diversity could render the re-introduced populations more susceptible to inbreeding depression in the future. Suggested future genetic management options are included which aim for a broader representation of genetic diversity in the pateke captive breeding and release programme

Tax-benefit microsimulation modelling in Tanzania: A feasibility study

This paper presents the findings from a feasibility study on the potential for developing a static tax-benefit microsimulation model for Tanzania. The paper provides an account of the current tax-benefit system in Tanzania and introduces the survey dataset which could function as the underpinning data for the model. The paper concludes with an assessment of the feasibility of producing such a model for Tanzania with reference to personal income tax, indirect taxes, and contributory and non-contributory benefits

The Role of Social Security in Respecting and Protecting the Dignity of Lone Mothers in South Africa: Final Report

This is the final report of a project entitled ‘Lone Mothers in South Africa: The role of social security in respecting and protecting dignity’. The project was inspired by research undertaken for the South African Department of Social Development (DSD) about attitudes to employment and social security (e.g. Noble et al., 2008; Ntshongwana, 2010a and 2010b; Surender et al., 2007; Surender et al., 2010). During the fieldwork for that programme of research, participants in focus groups repeatedly made the unprompted point that poverty eroded their sense of dignity. Given that the South African Constitution declares that people have inherent dignity and that dignity should be protected and respected (Republic of South Africa, 1996), we decided to design a project dedicated to exploring the role that social security currently plays in relation to people’s sense of dignity. Specifically we hoped to explore whether social assistance, as a financial transfer to low income people, serves to help to protect and respect people’s dignity, or conversely whether there are ways in which the country’s social security arrangements serve to undermine people’s dignity. Currently, there is no social assistance for low income people of working age unless they are entitled to claim the Disability Grant. There is however a commitment elsewhere in the Constitution to the progressive realisation of access to social assistance for people, and their dependants, who are unable to support themselves (Republic of South Africa, 1996: Chapter 2 section 27). It therefore seemed relevant to explore in addition whether people thought that – in the context of very high levels of unemployment ‐ some additional form of social assistance might be a worthwhile poverty alleviation measure that would help to protect and respect people’s sense of dignity, or whether it might serve to further erode people’s sense of dignity

South Africa's Child Support Grant and the dignity of female caregivers

The Child Support Grant (CSG) is social assistance for children with low income caregivers. It is currently paid at the rate of R310 per month and there are more than 11 million child beneficiaries. Almost all (98%) of the caregivers are female. The CSG is administered by the South African Social Security Agency (http://www.sassa.gov.za). Qualifying requirements include: the primary caregiver must be a South African citizen, permanent resident or refugee; their income (and the income of their spouse if they have one) must fall below the means test threshold; the child/children must be under 18 years; children aged between 7 and 18 years must attend school; and both the applicant and the child must reside in South Africa. The caregiver and child need to register biometrically with SASSA: finger-prints are captured along with a voice recording and a photograph

Poverty erodes dignity: perspectives of low income female caregivers in South Africa

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights introduces the recognition of the inherent dignity of all people as a foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Dignity plays a prominent role in South Africa’s Constitution, both as a foundational value and a right. Dignity can also be considered as a psycho-social phenomenon and at times these two notions of dignity (‘dignity as principle’ and ‘dignity in practice’) can seem disconnected. In this study we explored the linkages by investigating the impact of poverty on dignity, and in particular the extent to which dignity is experienced as violable