Does the unconditional cash transfer program in South Africa provide support for women after child birth? Barriers to accessing the child support grant among women in informal work in Durban, South Africa

Background The child support grant (CSG) is the largest unconditional cash transfer program in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty and improve child health and nutrition in low-income families in South Africa. Among informal working women, the CSG is an important source of income after childbirth when informal workers are unable to work, but reports suggest that women experience delays in accessing the CSG. We explore experiences and challenges of accessing the CSG among informal workers in Durban, South Africa. Methods We undertook a longitudinal mixed-methods cohort study. Women informal workers were recruited during pregnancy and followed-up for up to one year after the baby was born. Quantitative questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data about women’s plans for applying for the CSG, the application process, use of the CSG in the household, and household food insecurity. Interviews were conducted in IsiZulu by experienced researchers. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data used SPSS v26, and framework analysis using NVIVO v12.3 was used for qualitative analysis. Results Twenty-four informal working women were enrolled. The CSG received for older children was reported as an important and reliable source of income for mothers after childbirth. However, delays receiving the CSG for the new baby meant this support was unavailable to first-time mothers. The complex application process for the CSG required mothers to travel to various government departments to complete the required documentation, often taking the baby with them. This was costly and time-consuming for mothers who were already vulnerable, and led to delays in obtaining CSG funds. Many women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity before and after the baby was born. As a result, some mothers had to return to work earlier than planned, disrupting childcare and breastfeeding. Conclusions Cash transfer programmes can effectively support low income households and improve outcomes for mothers and children. In South Africa there is a need for innovative approaches to streamline CSG applications, so women can access the funds immediately post-delivery to fill a resource gap and provide support at a vulnerable time for mothers and their children.

Nutritional Behaviors, Vitamin Supplementation and Physical Activity among Polish Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, including social isolation, movement restrictions and work instability have altered many people’s nutritional behaviors and daily lifestyle. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on selected eating habits, physical activity and daily lifestyle changes of Polish adults (n = 145). The self-designed and anonymous questionnaire was available online from the 1 May 2021 to the 15 May 2021. In general, 60% of respondents declared that the COVID-19 pandemic did not affect their dietary habits, whereas 26% of surveyed individuals answered in the affirmative. The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on changing dietary habits was differentiated by age (Pearson’s χ2 = 12.604; p = 0.0134). The number of meals consumed by respondents per day differed across gender groups (Pearson’s χ2 = 9.653; df = 4; p = 0.0466). An increase in body weight during the COVID-19 pandemic was reported by 43% of women and 7.6% of surveyed men. Additionally, hybrid working women declared most often an increase in body mass independent of age, education level and living place. Moreover, the majority of respondents who reported the effect of the pandemic on changing dietary habits also declared more frequent sweets consumption. The study revealed that respondents who stated more frequent sweets consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely associated with an increase in body mass (OR = 6.75, 95% CI, 6.75–91.25). No increase in the consumption of vitamin D, C and Mg supplements and pickled products was found.

MATERNIDADES DISFÓRICAS EN EL POLICIACO TELEVISIVO ESPAÑOL

Las representaciones de la maternidad integran un campo de estudio complejo y en ocasiones contradictorio, condicionado como pocos otros ámbitos de lo social por las tendencias político-ideológicas de cada momento histórico. A partir de los años noventa, el postfeminismo se ha venido apropiando de algunos postulados de la tercera ola feminista para proponer una versión idealizada de la buena madre que combina, sin problemas aparentes, el cuidado de sus hijos con su desarrollo profesional. La figura resultante de este modelo neoliberal, de carácter naturalista y esencialista, constituye un horizonte inalcanzable para la mayor parte de las mujeres trabajadoras. Estas madres imperfectas han encontrado en el thriller televisivo el imaginario idóneo donde evidenciar la imposibilidad de la maternidad ideal. La serie Néboa (La1, 2020) ilustra esta tendencia mediante una mirada disfórica sobre el tema, muy crítica con los postulados inasumibles del postfeminismo. Abstract: The representations of motherhood make up a complex and sometimes contradictory field of study, conditioned like few other areas of the social sphere by the political-ideological tendencies of each historical period. Since the 1990s, post-feminism has been appropriating some tenets of the feminist third wave to propose an idealized version of the good mother that combines, apparently without problems, the care of her children with her professional development. The figure resulting from this neoliberal model, of a naturalistic and essentialist nature, represents an unattainable horizon for the majority of working women. These imperfect mothers have found in the television thriller a fertile imaginary where they show the impossibility of the ideal motherhood. The series Néboa (La1, 2020) illustrates this trend through a dystopian view on the subject, very critical of the post-feminist imaginary.

Working role of women in a pandemic world: a poetic inquiry

Purpose The sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected millions of people globally, and it has exacerbated the existing gender inequalities that have affected women. The purpose of this study is to understand the perceptions of women concerning gender inequality in the workplace during the current pandemic. The goal is to give women a voice so they can explain their feelings regarding the problems they face in a pandemic world. Design/methodology/approach In this study, four poetic inquiries were developed to investigate how the lives of working women were changed during the pandemic in Italy. Poetic methodology is a creative and aesthetic representation of qualitative research that is capable of reporting data with more fluidity and freedom. Findings The results suggest that the gender gap is increasing and is embodied in a series of relational and economic problems related to remote work, in difficulty in reconciling private and work life and in a series of new telematic violence against women. Practical implications This study offers practical implications for policymakers by suggesting the application of diversity management initiatives to remove barriers to gender equality. Originality/value This study, through a poetic approach, is the first to investigate women's perceptions during the pandemic related to difficulties experienced in the work sphere.

The Struggle to Balance Work and Family Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Insights Based on the Situations of Working Women in Delhi

The COVID-19 pandemic generated economic contraction across the world. In India, the stringent lockdown led to extreme distress. The unprecedented situation adversely affected the women’s efforts to balance professional life with family life because of a disproportionate increase in their domestic work burden and a shift in their workstation to home. Since every job cannot be performed remotely, women employed in healthcare services, banks and media witnessed additional risks of commuting and physical interaction at the workplace. Based on personal interviews of women in the Delhi-NCR region, the study aims to explore the commonalities and variances in the challenges experienced by the women engaged in diverse occupations. Using the qualitative methodology of flexible coding, the study finds that a relatively larger section of women travelling to their office during the pandemic, rather than those working from home, had an effective familial support system that helped them navigate this tough time.

Domestic Violence Against Women in During Covid-19 Lockdown

The problem of violence for women has increased during the pandemic period of COVID- 19. The present study was conducted to assess the status of women related to domestic violence during lockdown. This study was conducted in Badaun District and total fifty-five respondents were selected by snow ball technique. The data was collected through telephonic communication. The findings of the present study show that the status of physical, psychological, financial and sexual violence for working women was similar that of women who were housewives and this similarity was found to be insignificant (t= 1.01, 0.17, 0.08, 0.45) continuously. The status of sexual violence in women of below 30 years (4.11) was not different to that of women above 30 years (4.45) and it was evident from the t value (0.97) which was insignificant. This study highly recommended focusing on the situation of women and it suggests that awareness programs should be arranged by which the women would not hesitate to discuss their problems regarding the violence which they might be facing.

A Qualitative Research on the Work-Family-Life Balance Perception of Working Fathers

Work-life and work-family-life balance can be expressed as the balance between the demands of an individual's work life and private life, and the demands of work life and family life. The issue of ensuring the harmony between work-family and work-life is taken into consideration by researchers, and studies on this subject are gaining momentum day by day. As in many countries around the world, family-friendly organization practices are taking place in Turkey to address this situation, and many social policies are implemented in order to harmonize the areas of work-life and work-family life. However, although studies on working women are included in detail, studies related with working fathers are very rare. In the study, the concepts of work-life balance and work-family-life balance will be discussed in detail. In addition, the fact of being a working father for working fathers who tend to establish work-family-life balance, and the thoughts of working fathers about whether they can establish a work-family-life balance will be discussed within the scope of the interviews.

Women Working in Turkey

Working women face barriers based on gender discrimination in Turkey and around the world, especially in terms of their career development. In this context, gender discrimination is one of the most important problems that prevents the development of societies. Gender discrimination in terms of working life is the exclusion of women, although it does not affect the performance of work, and as a result, the power, satisfaction level, and income in the workplace are shared among men. Gender discrimination can be in the form of paying different wages for the same job, or it can occur in the form of individuals with equal efficiency having different jobs corresponding to different levels of pay. The aim of the study is to reveal the place of women working in Turkey in the labor market and the unfairness of wages they face. In this context, the study is important for providing proposals to prevent wage inequality in Turkey.

Conceptualizing Causative Factors of Workplace Cyberbullying on Working Women

This chapter conceptualizes workplace cyberbullying, with special reference on workplace cyberbullying perpetrated on working women. It shares various causative factors that lead to workplace cyberbullying on women. The situation across the world and with special reference to Indian situations on the social menace of workplace cyberbullying on working women and the traumatizing causatives are discussed in detail. Research reports and survey reports conducted across the world and in India related to workplace cyberbullying are discussed in detail. The psychological issues, socio-psychological triggers that induce bullying on women is discussed with the methods the bullies are inflicting on the victim across the world and with special reference to Indian working situations are analyzed in detail.