Catherine Ndinda

Gender, race and ageing in South Africa

abstract The proportion of persons 60 and older in South Africa is projected to almost double over the 30 year period between 2000–2030, from 7% to 12%, because of a marked decline in fertility in the last few decades. For Africans in particular, population ageing has meant that a larger proportion of females are reaching old age than their male counterparts (Makiwane, Schneider and Gopane, 2004), leading to a higher proportion of elderly households being headed by women. Through a secondary analysis of the General Household Survey data (2010) this paper explores the intersection between gender, race and ageing in South Africa. The findings from the analysis suggest that more than six out of ten older persons in South Africa are females who generally live longer than males. African females are the least educated and White males are the majority among the elderly with a matric and post-matric qualification. White women are the majority amongst women with secondary school and post-matric qualification and African women are least represented amongst elderly women in employment with the percentage of White women being much lower than that of elderly White men in employment. In feminist politics and theory the imbrication of gender, race and class in explicating womens experiences and development outcomes has been conceptualised in the notion of ‘intersectionality’, a term that denotes the ways in which race, gender and class interact to shape womens, and particularly, Black womens experiences in society. In South Africa, race, gender and class intersect in complex ways to shape elderly peoples experiences and development outcomes. This Article argues that state intervention is required to ensure that the most vulnerable group among the elderly population is ensured for a decent standard of living in their old age.

The evolution of non-communicable diseases policies in post-apartheid South Africa

BackgroundRedressing structural inequality within the South African society in the post-apartheid era became the central focus of the democratic government. Policies on social and economic transformation were guided by the government’s blueprint, the Reconstruction and Development Programme. The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of non-communicable disease (NCD) policies in South Africa and the extent to which the multi-sectoral approach was utilised, while explicating the underlying rationale for “best buy” interventions adopted to reduce and control NCDs in South Africa. The paper critically engages with the political and ideological factors that influenced design of particular NCD policies.MethodsThrough a case study design, policies targeting specific NCD risk factors (tobacco smoking, unhealthy diets, harmful use of alcohol and physical inactivity) were assessed. This involved reviewing documents and interviewing 44 key informants (2014–2016) from the health and non-health sectors. Thematic analysis was used to draw out the key themes that emerged from the key informant interviews and the documents reviewed.ResultsSouth Africa had comprehensive policies covering all the major NCD risk factors starting from the early 1990’s, long before the global drive to tackle NCDs. The plethora of NCD policies is attributable to the political climate in post-apartheid South Africa that set a different trajectory for the state that was mandated to tackle entrenched inequalities. However, there has been an increase in prevalence of NCD risk factors within the general population. About 60% of women and 30% of men are overweight or obese. While a multi-sectoral approach is part of public policy discourse, its application in the implementation of NCD policies and programmes is a challenge.ConclusionsNCD prevalence remains high in South Africa. There is need to adopt the multi-sectoral approach in the implementation of NCD policies and programmes.

Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming

Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

Attitudes towards foreigners in informal settlements targeted for upgrading in South Africa: A gendered perspective

abstract Using intersectionality as the organising theoretical framework, this article argues that the attitudes of informal settlement residents towards foreigners are complex, varied and moulded by a multiplicity of factors. Gender intersects in complex ways with social class, space (urban/rural) and political/ideological leanings, among other variables, to shape attitudes. The socially constructed characterisation results in inclusion or exclusion. Indeed, the attitudes held by individuals and groups depend on social and economic positioning as well as the spaces they occupy within the urban/rural/class divides. This serves to explain reticence, denialism and/or justification of violence by different groups in informal settlements, and the distinctions between males and females, and between employers and workers. Therefore, the argument put forward by this article is that attitudes of informal settlement dwellers (as distinct from slum dwellers) in South Africa towards foreigners, and the resulting unequal outcomes, are explicable from multiple forms of oppression, advantage and disadvantage, and hegemonic power structures. These attitudes are dynamic over time. They are fashioned by interconnections and kinship ties between citizens and foreigners. In addition, contestations over resources and opportunity, as well as notions of identity and citizenship, play a part in how the former view the latter. Crucially, gender intersects with social class and region to form the attitudes that are displayed by citizens towards foreigners in South Africa.

(Ad)dressing Sexual Reproductive Health Issues and Its Determinants in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa: Evidence from a Situational Analysis of Millennium Development Goals Indicators

This chapter presents a synthesis of the progress on key health-related MDGs in two South African provinces of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and the Eastern Cape (EC) focusing on sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) indicators. Utilizing a mixed method approach that included a desk review of policy directives on SRHR, secondary quantitative analysis of key epidemiological indicators, and a qualitative component that included focus group discussions in both urban and rural contexts; we offer evidence about how demographic and socioeconomic conditions explain trends in SRHR and show the complexity, interaction, and intersection of SRHR and all its determinants. The chapter concludes by discussing challenges [including (infra)structural, service delivery, access] in addressing specific SRHR goals and offers evidence of progress and prospects for a post 2015 agenda in addressing health-related MDGs in South Africa.