gender

Women’s Households and Social Exclusion: A look at the Urbanisation Dimension

It is widely agreed that women-headed households are the most excluded constituency in South Africa. Government delivery aims specifically to empower poor women and their families to gain access to the developed economy in order to promote their escape from poverty, but how best to do this is not always clear. Poverty at household level…

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The state of youth: Is the health status of youth improving?

This paper examines the health status of South African youth in the past 15 years, using available quantitative data. Specific areas of interest include youth disability, substance abuse, sexual and reproductive behaviour, and HIV and AIDS. The paper also assesses the pattern of health status implied in official statistics on mortality among the youth. The…

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Earnings Inequality in South Africa, 1995 – 2003

Woolard and Woolard use October Household Survey and Labour Force Survey data to establish whether the real earnings gap between highly skilled and low-skilled workers in the formal sector of the South African economy narrowed or widened between 1995 and 2003. It also assesses changes in the earnings gap between whites and other race groups,…

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The State of the Labour Market in Contemporary South Africa

The state of the labour market in South Africa is a reflection of the crippling legacies of apartheid and as such is a major challenge confronting the government. There are pockets of progress, but progress is limited relative to the magnitude of the inherited inequities:· Whites still dominate high-level occupations; Africans and women are concentrated in…

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For us women, working is an unfulfilled dream: womens’ wage work and food security.

This article reviews the findings from two small community studies in South Africa on the experience of poor households in respect of the economic downturn, employment, and food security, with special emphasis on gender dynamics. This study sought to explore the human, social and personal experiences of the economic downturn.The study interviewed 29 households in…

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The Gendered Dimensions of Food Security in South Africa: A Review of the Literature

Reddy and Moletsane provide a broad literature review of the gendered dimensions of food security in South Africa. The paper assesses local meanings and contextual issues that influence the relations between gender, policy, and food insecurity. The report addresses: (1) the socio-political context of gender and food insecurity, (2) the policy context, (3) some theoretical…

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Food security in South Africa

The Human Sciences Research Council project on household food security in South Africa focused on measuring food security, the role of smallholder production, and the impact of gender and HIV and AIDS on food security. Some the key findings include:·There has been a dramatic fall in the experience of hunger since 2002, but under-nutrition remains…

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Tshepo Khumbane—Growing South Africa’s Women and Landscape

The South African government has made numerous attempts to integrate women into the economy using different strategies. Many of these have been unsuccessful and others are unsustainable, requiring continued expenditure. Tshepo Khumbane, a development activist for more than 40 years, argues that the strategies are poorly focused. According to her, the various attempts do not…

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The Socio-Economic Impact of the Global Downturn on South Africa: Responses and Policy Implications

By the end of 2008, the South African economy had begun to experience the impact of the world recession which had arisen out of the international financial crisis. At that time, the scope and scale of the impacts were uncertain, making it difficult to mount official responses. This study on SA by Ngandu et al…

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