An investigation into the challenges facing municipalities in women empoernment: a case study of Ward 2 in Thulamela Municipality

Abstract

This study was intended to investigate the challenges facing municipalities in women empowerment. The investigation was done on the selected individuals from both Thulamela municipality and ward 2 in Thulamela.

The sample was drawn from the population using the purposive and systematic random sampling methods. Sixty five respondents were chosen as follows: four managers and twenty employees in Thulamela municipality, Fourty women under ward 2 in Thulamela and finally the ward 2 Councillor in Thulamela municipality.

A single instrument for data collection was used. A questionnaire in (Appendix A) was handed out to concerned people. The analysis of data was mostly qualitative and based on relevant frequencies of response.

SOME OF THE MAIN FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY WERE:

• The majority of the respondents agreed that women were employed in low paid jobs during apartheid era. • It has been confirmed by 92,3% of the respondents when they agreed that gender equity act and policies created more jobs opportunities for the previously disadvantaged groups of women in particular. • Most of the respondents indicated that more women are employed in more decent jobs in democratic era than in apartheid period.

• There are currently more projects that are established to empower women. • Majority of the respondents indicated lack of education as an obstacle to women empowerment. •Education for girls will promote women empowerment • Most of the respondents disagreed that uneducated women are recognized in women empowerment. • Most of the respondents disagreed that majority of the ward Counselors are women. • Combination of family and gender roles hamper women empowerment, this has been confirmed by 63,1% of the respondents.

RECOMMENDATIONS

As a result of the findings and conclusion, it has been realized that so many problems regarding challenges facing municipalities in women empowerment need to be addressed.

The following are some of the recommendations made out of those findings.

• Women need to be employed to top management positions and in more decent jobs through Affirmative action. • Gender equity act and policies must be implemented by both public and private sectors for more jobs creation as women empowerment. • Government should go on providing more projects aimed at women empowerment.

• Women must also be given tenders for their economic stability.

• There to be are educational programmes like ABET that need provided to women as they were previously disadvantaged in education. • Government should have campaigns aimed at discouraging teenage pregnancies.