Academic literature on the topic 'Women and religion – Swaziland'

AbstractWhereas women's prayer groups are a well-known strength of African Christianity in Southern Africa, the evangelistic and pastoral contribution of individual women who were not clergy wives has been under-appreciated. Echoing models from Victorian London and Indian missions, Methodism in South Africa evolved an authorised, paid form of female lay ministry via middle-aged black Biblewomen sponsored and overseen by white Women's Auxiliary groups. The first appointee in the Transvaal and Swaziland District wrote comparatively full reports of emotionally 'hot' revival meetings. In 'hard' kraals she encountered hostility in the form of patriarchal control of women and an unusual proliferation of rival indigenous spirits. Her successors found male drinking an even greater obstacle to a sympathetic hearing. In urban townships along the Witwatersrand, Biblewomen work was less pioneering and more routinised, providing pastoral support to local churches via sick-visiting and following up lapsed members. From 1945-59, some Biblewomen were trained at Lovedale Bible School. The period after 1960 deserves separate exploration. In 1997, a new start was made with a national, autonomous Biblcwomen ministry, though many women, black and white, regretted severing their personal and organisational links of mutual dependence.

Circumcision has been practised for centuries among various groups of people world-wide, mainly for religious, traditional, hygienic or medical reasons. However, this practice was rare in Swaziland. Following recommendations by the World Health Organisation that circumcision should be added as an additional strategy for HIV prevention, the country embarked on mass male circumcision campaigns, aimed at scaling up the practice nationwide. Apparently the turnup for the procedure is below the set targets. Knowledge of factors that influence the uptake of circumcision is necessary in order to maximise the success of the strategy. This study aimed at assessing the influence of religion and/or culture on perception and hence uptake of circumcision in Swaziland. An explorative qualitative research design was used, in which in-depth face-toface interviews were conducted on seventeen participants individually. Results showed thatChristianity and African Traditional Religion are the dominant religions in Swaziland and each of them has both a negative and a positive influence on the perception of, and hence the decision to be, circumcised. This depended on the individuals’ interpretation and understanding of the doctrine of their religion or denomination. It was recommended that the identified positive influences be capitalised on to promote circumcision.

Background: Cancer of the cervix is the most common cancer in women in Swaziland where most women never undergo cervical screening. The extremely high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland complicates the management of preinvasive and invasive cervical cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of cervical cytology in Swaziland, its strengths and limitations. Methods: The study is a retrospective review of 12,188 conventional cervical smears received by the Central Public Health Laboratory in Swaziland from June 2004 to May 2006. Results: Review of results showed very high rates of cytologic abnormalities with 43.2% of smears screened reported as abnormal. The percentages of abnormalities were as follows: atypical squamous cells of undermined significance (ASC-US), 19.8%; atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSILs (ASC-H), 8.8%; low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL), 9.0%; high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL), 4.6%; squamous cell carcinomas, 0.5%; atypical endocervical cells, 0.6%; and atypical endometrial cells, 0.4%. Just over 5% of smears were inadequate. The highest rates of HSILs and invasive squamous carcinoma occurred in women aged 50–59 years. Conclusions: This study underscores the need to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and its precursor lesions in Swaziland women. Based on studies of human papillomavirus (HPV) types in other Southern African countries, current HPV vaccines would reduce the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer in the future, but cervical screening would still be required, both for women already infected with the HPV and for HPV subtypes not covered by current vaccines. The most cost-effective combination of screening modalities such as visual inspection, HPV DNA testing, and cytology should be investigated. Cervical cancer reduction needs to be managed within the greater framework of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Human migration has played an important role in the construction or dissolution of states in southern Africa. With the coming of the colonial period there was an intensification of the process of migration, mainly for work. Such movements were premised on the uneven development of colonial economies in which some areas became suppliers of labour while others became labour markets. In the case of Swaziland, the migration of labour was dominated by male migrants as the existing labour markets offered more opportunities for men. This view has become a conventional interpretation of the disparity in the mobility of men and women within states or across borders. This article uses the experience of Swaziland to extend the discourse on why men dominated the migration currents in Swaziland during the colonial period. It points out that it is no longer useful to rely on purely economic explanations of why more men were migrating than women in colonial Swaziland. The argument pushes the frontier of analysis beyond economics and argues that a more significant explanation is to be found in the power relations at the homestead level, whereby men had the power to determine if and when women could migrate. The discussion shows that Swazi men, in collaboration with colonial administrators, employed different strategies to control the mobility of women. The intention of the men was to keep women in the rural areas and they used their power in the homestead and their influence on the colonial administration to create barriers against female migration to local and cross-border industrial centres.

This thesis explores women and theatre for development in Swaziland. It focuses on how theatre for development is used as a tool in the development of women. Firstly, I examine the key concepts used throughout the thesis and I pay special attention to Theatre for Development. In the second chapter, I give an account of the country's history and pay special attention to the social status of women. In chapter 3, I examine the various forms of performance found in Swaziland and how they impact on the development of Swazi women. In the fourth chapter, I consider the evolution of literary practice in Swaziland and discuss two play-texts in English by H.I.E Dhlomo, a key literary figure and pioneer playwright of modem black drama in South Africa. I explore A Witch in My Heart by Hilda Kuper, a white anthropologist who lived in Swaziland in the mid twentieth century, and lastly. The Paper Bride by Zodwa Motsa, a contemporary Swazi writer. Next, in chapter 5, 1 investigate the first phase of Theatre for Development in Swaziland where non-governmental organizations, the Swazi Government and independent individuals worked together using Theatre for Development in Swazi communities. I consider first the workshops initiated by the youth. In chapter 6, I give an account of workshops involving whole communities and the kudliwa inhloko ebandla, a workshop that involved men only. In all these workshops 1 examine how they impacted on the development of women. I then conclude with a discussion of the findings of the study and their implications for the development of women.

In Swaziland, cases of cervical cancer among Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)-positive adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) are increasing, but there is low uptake of cervical cancer screening. This study was conducted using the systems thinking theory to explore the relationships between the uptake of cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive AGYW in Swaziland and the availability of trained health providers, cervical screening services, and the provision of referrals for cervical screening. The study also investigated any differences in uptake of cervical screening based on age group. For this quantitative cross-sectional study, secondary HIV program data that were collected routinely between January 2016 and March 2018 were accessed. Data were described with univariate analysis while relationships were tested using bivariate analysis and logistic regression. Most facilities (97%) had staff who had been trained; facilities with greater numbers of trained staff were more likely to have a higher uptake (OR: 30.3, p = 0.000). Facilities with cervical screening services were also more likely to have a higher uptake (x2 = 16.94, p = 0.000), and facilities with all the core components for screening had the highest uptake (p = 0.002). AGYW who had a positive screen were referred equally but the referral rate was low (20.45%). There was no difference in uptake by age group. The results of the study can increase knowledge of the institutional factors that contribute to the low uptake of cervical cancer screening among HIV-positive AGYW and has implications for social change by informing interventions for improving cervical cancer screening uptake in HIV-positive AGYW in similar settings, ultimately reducing the high costs, morbidity, and mortality related to cervical cancer in this population.

Tensions between the individual rights and freedoms found in constitutional bills of rights and the traditionally prescribed social roles and positions articulated in African customary law systems have often been characterised as tensions between communitarian and liberal philosophies. In particular, the notion of gender equality, which is often a feature of the protections offered by constitutional bills of rights, is seen to be in direct opposition to the overtly patriarchal character of many African customs and traditions. This thesis looks specifically at polygamy, long and widely considered in the West to be an oppressive practice premised on the assumed inferiority of women. The analysis considers the implications of polygamy in a particular cultural context, that of the Kingdom of Swaziland, where the newly instituted constitution is often seen to be incompatible with many aspects of Swazi customary law. Here, the tension between the constitutional commitment to gender equality and the persistence of polygamy as a seemingly discriminatory cultural practice forms a lens through which to view the debate as a whole. The theoretical analysis is supplemented by empirical research sourced from local media archives and in-depth interviews conducted with twelve Swazi women, both unmarried and married in polygamous relationships. Communitarian and liberal approaches to resolving this tension are compared, contrasted and finally critiqued from a feminist standpoint. The feminist critique of both communitarianism and liberalism implies that neither ideology promises much for women and affirms the relatively recent feminist suggestion that the key to resolving tensions between constitutional and customary law in general, and to uplifting the social/legal status of women in particular lies in the enhancement of women’s democratic participation and the improvement of women’s decision-making powers.

Conclusions: ART initiation is very important for HIV positive women both for their own health and for prevention HIV transmission to their children. This study found that ART initiation among eligible pregnant women in Swaziland was statistically associated with the presence of partner support and favourable perceptions of benefits of ART after multiple logistic regression analysis. Stronger counselling and education for pregnant women and male involvement strategies need to be implemented as momentum gathers towards elimination of paediatric HIV by 2015.<br>Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014.<br>Epidemiology<br>MSc<br>Unrestricted

Women in leadership have had a difficult time rising into positions of leadership in the church. Qualified women in the local church are not realizing their dreams and or achieving their goals because of barriers which include sexism in the church and society, cultural differences and the inner struggles through various expected roles within their family structure. Women in the local church need proper nurturing, guidance and or support in the articulation or the manifestation of their ministerial visions and goals. There is very little data available regarding women in leadership. Research suggests that even though women make up the majority of membership in the church, women are disproportionately represented in the leadership of the church. Research further suggests that even though Americans are comfortable with women as leaders, relatively small numbers of women make it to top leadership positions relative to their male counterparts. The conceptual framework integrated ideas from theological, biblical and theoretical perspectives. The theological perspective focused on several theologians within the categories of the theology of liberation, feminist theology, Black feminist theology and womanist theology. The biblical perspective was explored through the arguments about women in leadership from the egalitarian and complementarian viewpoints. The biblical perspective further discussed women in leadership within the arguments about women in leadership from the egalitarian and complementarian viewpoints. The biblical perspective further discussed women in leadership within the biblical context. Finally, the theoretical perspective investigated the theory of subordination as it relates to women in leadership. The theory of subordination was explored in three sections: (a) the biblical theory of subordination, (b) the cultural theory of subordination and (c) the pastoral domination theory of subordination. The purpose of this project is to encourage and inspire women who have the potential to be leaders by assisting them to develop leadership skills, enabling them to step forward as true leaders in the church using a "Wo-Mentoring" approach. The research project was conducted at Saint John C.M.E. Church in Monticello, Georgia. Women in this congregation were involved in a program that will help them envision their goals, identify the barriers that preclude them from reaching their goals, and help them utilize the voices of other women to give encouragement as future leaders. This program enabled these women to develop skills to process their issues, understand themselves, and visualize goals assisting them in creating a workable road map toward these goals. The intended results are changes from within - transformation. The women should be different in their approach to leadership in various ministries. In the project, the women participated in leadership sessions including bible study, developing vision, mission and goal statements, and communication skills. As a result, the women who participated in the sessions were inspired to equip themselves using the resources provided. The researcher evaluated the effectiveness of the project by utilizing a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. This project utilized Stacy Floyd-Thomas' qualitative method of 'historiography' to understand the other women's voices used to undergird the project. The quantitative method explored statistical data conducted in pre/post surveys as it relates to the program participants. Additionally, the researcher used qualitative methods to dialogue with the women participants. The results of the project suggest that the women who participated in the project had a better understanding of leadership; and felt that they would use their skills in the near future. It was concluded that many of the participants experienced transformation. We will be better equipped for future leadership opportunities when we understand the many obstacles women face such as sexism in the church, cultural differences and inner struggles through various expected roles.

Concern regarding the decline in the knowledge and use of indigenous green vegetables exists in many southern African regions including Swaziland. Reasons for this are, amongst others, attributed to a lack of inter-generational knowledge transfer, the influence of westernisation and changing food values and attitudes, as people nowadays regard indigenous green leafy vegetables as a low status food. It is imperative that knowledge of these foods be documented before it is lost to future generation. Indigenous green leafy vegetables have long been considered healthier options than the many recently introduced western-orientated foods, which are closely linked to chronic lifestyle diseases. The aim of this study was to determine, describe and compare the knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables among two generations of rural Swazi women from the Eluyengweni community, and how it manifests in their food practices. Studies on indigenous green leafy vegetables in Swaziland are limited. This study will fill the knowledge gap in this field. The human ecological perspective was adopted as theoretical perspective and an explorative mixed method approach was followed. Qualitative data was collected through focus group discussions with younger (25-45 years) and older (over 45 years) women. Face-to-face structured interviews provided quantitative data on the knowledge the women had of indigenous green leafy vegetables, including their procurement, preparation, preservation and consumption patterns. The convenience sample comprised 102 respondents. Observation was done concurrently during both phases of data collection and photographs accompanied comprehensive field notes. It transpired that the availability of indigenous green leafy vegetables had declined in the community and those that were available were not easily accessible as they were located on the outskirts of the community. In spite of changes in the physical and natural environment, some indigenous green leafy vegetable species are still available in summer. It is clear that the older women, in comparison to their younger counterparts, had more knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables in terms of identifying them, where they are found and how they are used. Familiar and available indigenous green leafy vegetables such as imbuya (Amaranthus), chuchuza (Bidens pilosa) were preferred, and consumed fairly regularly. Although indigenous green leafy vegetables were still part of the food practices in this community, their consumption among the younger generation had declined. However, due to factors related to modernisation, economic influences and technological advancement the majority of both the younger and older participants seem to have become dependent on, and often include, western-orientated food in their food consumption patterns. Based on the results, recommendations are made to capture and preserve the knowledge of indigenous green leafy vegetables in this community and to revive interest in these vegetables and promote their consumption.<br>Daar is 'n besorgdheid oor die afname in kennis in die gebruik van inheemse groen blaargroentes in baie streke in Suider Afrika, insluitend Swaziland. Redes wat hiervoor aangevoer word, is onder andere, die gebrekkige oordrag van kennis van een geslag na die volgende, die invloed van verwestering asook 'n verandering in waardes en houdings aangesien mense inheemse groen blaargroentes deesdae as 'n lae status voedsel beskou. Daarom is dit noodsaaklik dat kennis oor hierdie voedsel gedokumenteer word voordat dit verlore gaan vir die nageslag. Inheemse groen blaargroentes word gesonder geag in vergelyking met Westers-georienteerde voedsel, wat op hul beurt nou geassosieer word met kroniese lewenstyl siektes. Die doel van hierdie studie was om die kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes van twee geslagte landelike Swazi vroue van die Eluyengweni gemeenskap te bepaal, beskryf en te vergelyk asook hoe dit manifesteer in hul voedselpraktyke. Studies oor inheemse groen blaargroentes in Swaziland is beperk en hierdie studie dra by om die leemte in kennis in hierdie studieveld te vul. Die menslike ekologiese perspektief is a teoretiese perspektief gebruik en 'n verkennende gemengde metodologie is as navorsingsbenadering gevolg. Kwalitatiewe data is deur middle van fokusgroep gesprekke met beide die jonger (25-45 jaar) en ouer (ouer as 45 jaar) vroue ingesamel. Met behulp van gestruktureerde individuele onderhoude is kwantitatiewe data oor die kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes ingesamel wat die verkryging, voorbereiding, preservering en verbruikspatrone van hierdie groentes ingesluit het. 'n Geriefssteekproef van 102 respondente het aan die studie deelgeneem. Waarnemings is gedurende beide fases van die data insameling uitgevoer en fotos en volledige veldnotas is ingesluit. Dit is duidelik dat die beskikbaarheid van inheemse groen blaargroentes in hierdie gemeenskap afgeneem het, en dit wat beskikbaar was, was nie maklik toeganklik nie, omdat dit aan die buitewyke van die gemeenskap gelëe was. Ten spyte van die verandering in die fisiese en natuurlike omgewing is sommige inheemse groen blaargroentes steeds beskikbaar gedurende die somer. Dit is duidelik dat die ouer vroue, in vergelyking met die die jonger vroue oor meer kennis van inheemse groen blaargroentes beskik het met betrekking tot die identifisering, waar hulle groei en hoe om hulle te gebruik. Bekende en beskikbare inheemse groen blaargroentes soos gewone misbredie (Amaranthus) en knapsakkerwel (Bidens pilosa) was voorkeur groente en is redelik gereeld gebruik. Alhoewel inheemse groen blaargroentes steeds deel vorm van die voedselpraktyke in hierdie gemeenskap, het die gebruik daarvan deur die jonger geslag afgeneem. As gevolg van faktore soos modernisering, die ekonomie en tegnologiese vooruitgang het die meerderheid van beide die jonger en ouer geslag afhanklik geword van westers-georienteerde voedsel en dit dikwels in hulle eetpatrone ingesluit. Die resultate van hierdie studie het bygedra dat aanbevelings oor die vaslegging en bewaring van die kennis oor inheemse groen blaargroentes in hierdie gemeenskap gemaak kon word, asook om 'n oplewing in die belangstelling in die gebruik daarvan te bevorder.<br>Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2017.<br>Consumer Science<br>MConsumer Science<br>Unrestricted

Clothes are not only for body protection and covering, but they also have social and emotional aspects attached to them. For them to be appealing, they need to have a proper fit while remaining fashionable and aesthetically pleasing to the eye (Anderson, Brannon, Ulrich, Presley&Woronka, Grasso&Gray,2000; Yoo, 2003). Swaziland has a large population of plus-size women who are working in different departments and need to dress for the job on a daily basis. Their apparel sizing and fit preferences and problems are not known. This research investigates apparel sizing and fit preferences and problems of the plus-size Swazi working women. It concentrates specifically on the functional, aesthetic and economic fit preferences, as well as on determining size labelling preferences, knowledge and clothing styles preferences and problems. This was a descriptive study using a quantitative approach. Purposive sampling was used. This design was chosen as it focused on studying plus-size working women who were experiencing fit problems with the apparel they bought from local apparel retail shops. A survey using a questionnaire to collect data was done in exploring apparel sizing and fit problems and preferences of plus-size working women of Swaziland. A sample of plus-size Swazi working female teachers (n = 249) between the ages of 25 and 60 years who had indicated that they wore clothes of size 16 to 28+ or size 40 to 52+ participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to answer set objectives. The results of the study indicated that the plus-size Swazi working women preferred clothes that were functionally comfortable, fitted well and were made in comfortable fabric. They also indicated that they preferred clothes that were well sized, had a fit that was functional, sensually and emotionally pleasing in respect of style, the fabric used and comfort. The study also reflected that plus-size Swazi working women experienced sizing and fit problems in most of the apparel they bought from local retail outlets. A high number of the plus-size women consumers reported experiencing difficulty in finding clothes that were aesthetically pleasing. They could not find clothes that were fashionable in their size nor clothes that could satisfy their emotional and symbolic egos. A high number of respondents also indicated that they experienced a lot of fit problems on several areas of their bodies. The waist, hips, buttocks, abdomen and upper arms seemed to be the most problematic body areas respondents reported to be having fit problems. The lengths were also a challenge as most had problems with sleeve and pants length. Findings in this study also reflected that sizing in clothes was still a major problem for most of the plus-size consumers. Many of the respondents had problems understanding information on the size tags. The sizing systems were most probably confusing for the consumer as some came in varying numbers and letters. This study may contribute to a better understanding of sizing and fit preferences and problems experienced by the plussize Swazi working women with regard to work apparel. Consumers come in different shapes and sizes. The clothing producer has a task of ensuring that clothes are made to fit most of the prevailing figure types, rather than the common ideal figure.<br>Dissertation (MConsumer Science)--University of Pretoria, 2011.<br>Consumer Science<br>unrestricted

Purpose This study was undertaken, in response to a need of long standing, to raise the consciousness of the church regarding her need for more effective administration of the ministry. Simultaneously, the purpose is to identify and bring recognition to a ready source capable of addressing this need—black women in administration. Goal The desired goal is to provide a basis for affirming the gift of administration as an appropriate ministry for women and an essential ministry for the church and, utilizing the theology of administration, propose an adult education model of effective training for the ministry of administration. The Problem This study addresses the problem of ineffective administration which I argue is directly related to the life, vitality and growth of the church and the involvement of members of the church. The church has not validated the ministry of administration though the need is evidenced by ineffective administrative operations of many church leaders. The gift of administration has been underutilized as an intentional ministry of major importance for the enabling and empowering of women to share their several gifts in the programmatic, coordinating and implementing operations of the church. Non-involvement is a tragic commentary on those who give leadership to the community of believers. Each year fewer people attend church regularly and even fewer actively participate in significant church relationships. In the male-oriented church, men in leadership have not solved this increasing problem. The revolutionized world is in need of visionary, creative, skilled, and committed black women in administration to cultivate and use their skills for effective ministry. Methodology A threefold process was used. First, the literature was researched to discover historical, biblical and theological support for black women in the ministry of administration. Secondly, a survey was conducted with selected seminary graduates and non-seminary practitioners to explore their attitudes, philosophies and present administrative roles. Thirdly, a consultation was held with a select group of experienced clergy and lay women currently engaged in significant administrative positions in religious organizations and the church. Problem Solution As women make their way into significant, responsible Christian leadership positions, they need to be encouraged and equipped to focus their attention on enabling the discovery, utilization and ordering of spiritual gifts in the church and wherever Christians are living out their faith in everyday life. Having participated in the revolution to liberate women, Christian women have the challenging opportunity to open doors to significant leadership roles in the church and religious institutions where their administrative ministry is needed. To bring acceptance and recognition by the church of the ministry of administration that it deserves, is a formidable undertaking, but one that must be attempted. Black women have the potential to give leadership to this task. The ministry of administration is a position that needs to be filled. Black women bring to the challenge of administration a history of overcoming obstacles to freedom, of bearing the pain and frustration of triple discrimination; they bring an intuitive problem-solving capability inherent from ingenious slave survival. Black women are among the "49 million women employed in this country who have altered the image of womanhood and changed the way America lives, works and even thinks." Evaluation The evaluation of this project occurred mainly in consultation with black women leaders who have administration as a major function in their ministry. In the consultation the concept of administration ministry, as set forth in this study, was critically reviewed. Terminology Some of the terms in this paper are defined by using collective meanings of several authors, and have been paraphrased with particular reference to the ministry of administration. Administration - A function of skillful, coherent and comprehensive coordination of the mission ministries utilizing some of the principles, tools, practices and resources of the business world. Religious institutions - Organizations which have in their purpose or objective the Christian intent to meet human needs and assist persons to improve their standard of living, spiritually and physically. Ministry - The Christ-centered, intentional, organized, dedicated, service of a person who proclaims by life and words the reality of the love of Jesus Christ in relationships with people, and in relationship to God. Church - God's chosen community identified by each and all of her members sharing in koinonia, witnessing to the love of God through the use of gracious gifts each member has received to bring others to receive God's love. Review of Literature Theories of administration have been written heretofore by men who have historically monopolized administrative roles and positions. Their treatment of the ministry of administration has been written from their experiences, to the exclusion of women. Some of the books, relevant in part to the subject matter in this paper, are reviewed here. James D. Anderson and Ezra Earl Jones, in the Management of Ministry (1978), focus on the individual church in its community context. The authors use case examples to show how the minister can manage an effective, efficient, enabling ministry to meet pastoral needs and community objectives. The emphasis is on the leader of ministry rather than tools and procedures in the management of an organization. The concept of an intentional ministry, by John Biersdorf in Creating An Intentional Ministry (1976), is described as a continuing process of negotiation with significant social systems such as congregation, family, peers, denomination, seminary, neighborhood, community and culture. The effective administration of the process is seen as an intentional ministry. The twelve keys that Kennon L. Callahan treats in Twelve Keys to an Effective Church (1983), serve as guide lines to what a church must do to be effective. The author places considerable emphasis on "long-range strategic planning" , and the blending of management expertise to a theological perspective. Callahan is inclusive of women as capable of advancing the church to accomplish her mission in the world. Alvin J. Lindgren has organized in Foundations for Purposeful Church Administration (1979), an extensive directional guide for church administration. It is geared to the beginner to interpret his/her concept of church administration, its foundations, and prerequisites for leadership in this field. In Lindgren's later book, Let My People Go (1980), he turns to the age old problem of the enslaved laity who need to be freed, to be enlisted and be equipped to increase the church's ability to make a corporate witness and impact in making known the love of God. The collaborate responsibility of clergy and lay members is the administrative challenge presented in this book. Black Church Life Styles, by Emmanuel L. McCall (1986), is a compilation of black religious experiences that provide interpretations of black church life styles. The varieties of experiences give a realistic description of the primary place, the church, where women will practice the ministry of administration. Terry A. Clark in his dissertation confronts the weakness in administration by the clergy that has limited the influence of and ministry to those who really want to be a society of ministers. The male clergy administrators have discouraged women from active involvement in their "lofty ranks." Clark, a pastor, admits his own negligence in the paper he has written on "Equipping for Ministry: A Project to Equip Christian Laypersons to Perform Their Individual and Corporate Ministries," 1983. The article, "Together and in Harness: Women's Traditions in the Sanctified Church," by Cheryl Townsend Gilkes explores four aspects of black women's experiences in the sanctified church that have been part of their larger historical role that emphasizes independence, self-reliance, strength and autonomy; the devaluation of black women by dominant culture and their elevation to roles of spiritual leadership. In "What Does Administration Theory Give the Church," Stephen C. Rasor raises some cautions on the use and application of organizational concepts and management theories in the church, lest they be used as "another manipulative mechanism to enhance the status quo or to promote a congregation 's tunnel vision of a maintenance oriented institution . . ." which the church is not. It is a warning that women in administration should beware of slipping into. James G. Sigorentos and Myron Shank authored the article, "Public Roles for Women in the Pauline Church: A Reappraisal of the Evidence (I Corinthians 11:2-16; I Corinthians 14:33-35; I Timothy 2:15.)" The main consideration in these texts was for a woman to show a "proper" submissive attitude and literalists use it to justify limiting women's roles and authority. The authors attempt to provide as full a range as possible of ministries for women, without hindering the spread of the gospel. Method in Ministry by James D. Whitehead and Evelyn Eaton Whitehead is a research report supporting the need for contemporary method in ministry. Because of its reflective and immediate nature drawing on experience, the need for process in ministry will more likely be received by black women than male ministers whose method and style have been traditionally autonomous. Women can learn to make fuller use of their innate and subconscious resources in a highly conscious and organized manner. None of these books on church administration was written from the experience of black women. This project dissertation was given the title "Black Women and the Ministry of Administration" in recognition of cultural and sexual distinctions that give meaning and style to the way that one functions in ministry. The African-American woman's experience of triple jeopardy has provided the black woman an extraordinary context for the development of creative skills needed for effective ministry.

The level of political representation of women in different legislative bodies around the world varies greatly. The women in the Arab world, is that as in other areas of the world, have throughout history experienced discrimination and have been subject to restriction of their freedoms and rights. Many of these practices and limitations are based on cultural and emanate from tradition and not from religion as many people supposed, these main constraints that create an obstacle towards women’s rights and liberties are reflected in the participation of women in political life. Although there are differences between the countries, the Arab region in general is noted for the low participation of women in politics. Universal suffrage has become common in most countries, but there are still some Arab women who are denied such rights.&#x0D; There have been many highly respected female leaders in Arab history, such as Shajar al-Durr (13th century) in Egypt, Queen Orpha (d. 1090) in Yemen. In the modern era there have also been examples of female leadership in Arab countries. However, in Arabic-speaking countries no woman has ever been head of state, although many Arabs remarked on the presence of women such as Jehan Al Sadat, the wife of Anwar El Sadat in Egypt, and Wassila Bourguiba, the wife of Habib Bourguiba in Tunisia, who have strongly influenced their husbands in their dealings with matters of state. Many Arab countries allow women to vote in national elections. The first female Member of Parliament in the Arab world was Rawya Ateya, who was elected in Egypt in 1957. Some countries granted the female franchise in their constitutions following independence, while some extended the franchise to women in later constitutional amendments.

The article presents the results of a study of corporate culture preferences depending on self-regulation and values of specialists working in project organizations for the development of complex technical systems (STS). As the methodological basis of the research, we selected R. Barrett’s concept of the levels of personal and organizational consciousness, the compatibility of personal and organizational values as factors that determine the development and effectiveness of companies in the modern business space (Barret, 1997). The purpose of the study: to determine the dependence of the preferred corporate culture of scientific and production associations by specialists of complex technical systems (STS) on their value orientations and self-regulation styles. Research methods: diagnostics of types of real and preferred corporate culture (Cameron, 2001), questionnaire «style of self-regulation of behavior» (Morosanova, 1988), author’s questionnaire of values based on the R. Barrett model (personal and corporate values), questionnaire «life goals and values» (Klyueva, 1997). Sample: 96 specialists of the STS Research and production Association (56 men and 40 women aged 28 to 55 years, with experience in the organization from 2 to 15 years. Conclusions. STS specialists assess the real corporate culture as bureaucratic and market-oriented. They want a clannish corporate culture or an adhocracy one. With a high level of self-regulation, professionals prefer clan and adhocracy cultures. STS specialists with a low level of self-regulation prefer a bureaucratic corporate culture. STS specialists have the predominant values of life, health and personal growth, and religion and fame are the least Their corporate values belong to the third level of consciousness (self-esteem, self-discipline, confidence, friendliness, influence and power, the effectiveness of the organization in business processes and management system). STS specialists have a high level of self-regulation with a predominance of styles for evaluating results, programming and modeling. Styles of self-regulation of planning, programming, and regulatory-personal properties of flexibility have a medium level, and independence-a low level, which is a consequence of the bureaucratic corporate culture. The obtained results served as a justification for the development of an algorithm for changing the corporate culture of an organization.

Freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) is a fundamental human right. However, the general global trend in recent years is towards increased FoRB violations by both government and non-government actors. Notable exceptions are Sudan and Uzbekistan, which have shown significant improvement in promoting FoRB, while smaller-scale positive developments have been seen in a number of other countries. The international community is increasingly focusing on FoRB. External actors can help promote FoRB through monitoring and reporting, applying external pressure on governments (and to a lesser extent non-government entities), and through constructive engagement with both government and non-government actors. The literature gives recommendations for how each of these approaches can be effectively applied. This review is largely based on grey (and some academic) literature as well as recent media reports. The evidence base was limited by the fact that so few countries have shown FoRB improvements, but there was wider literature on the role that external actors can play. The available literature was often gender blind (typically only referring to women and girls in relation to FoRB violations) and made negligible reference to persons with disabilities.

HIV prevention efforts across sub-Saharan Africa are increasingly focused on engaging men, for their own health and that of their partners and families. We examined whether and how HIV risk and protective factors are changing among men in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)—a country with a substantial HIV burden. The study is part of the Population Council’s implementation science research portfolio on the DREAMS Partnership1, a large-scale initiative to reduce new HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) and their partners.