Matching Items (3)
Description
This thesis examines the lived experiences of nine Eritrean refugee women resettled in Phoenix through personal narratives to understand their struggles towards achieving economic empowerment. Through in-depth, semi-structured interviews, the women shared their upbringing, resettlement journey, adjustment in Phoenix, Arizona, and reflections on gender and cultural issues that impact their lives. The women interviewed were between ages 18-46 with varying levels of English, education, and work experience. Interviews with agency staff members and volunteers familiar with refugee women's empowerment and/or Eritrean refugee women were also conducted. By evaluating the women's voices and stories, this thesis aims to propose relevant, culturally appropriate, and sustainable services that can effectively address the women's needs and understand the factors that can empower them in their new communities. Major themes that emerged from the women's narratives include the desire to organize and reach out beyond the refugee community, the importance of English language, mixed expectations of assistance and life in the U.S, and the social status of women in Eritrean culture. Based on the women's feedback, a meaningful group would incorporate elements such as improving language, connecting with culturally-familiar mentors, flexible scheduling, developing small businesses, and resources for income generation and educational opportunities. Eventual participation in the women's empowerment programs offered by local agencies is also recommended.
ContributorsAberra, Nesima Selam (Author) / Cruz-Torres, Maria (Thesis director) / Switzer, Heather (Committee member) / Ali, Souad T. (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2013-05
Description
ABSTRACT
Food insecurity is a global concern and is acute in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa as well as pockets in the global North. In the lush green spaces of “God’s Own Country”, the state of Kerala in India, about 379,000 women are engaged in farming in about 75,800 groups. Spearheaded by Kudumbashree, the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) the women farmers, along with women who co-own other micro-enterprises, totaling approximately 4.5 million members in all, are part of a quiet revolution. Through a powerful statewide network of tens of thousands of well-trained community-based educators, SPEM facilitates non-formal education in farming, other livelihoods, and gender-based oppression. Boosted by this non-formal education and abundant informal learning, the women group farmers have taken matters into their own hands. Rather than wait for their male family members to rescue them from economic hardship, the women farmers learn to grow nutritious food both for family consumption and for sale. In the process, they are creating pathways for the practice of food justice in their families, villages, and the entire state. The study focuses on two women’s farming groups, one from the highly marginalized Adivasi (ancient inhabitants, or tribal population) and one from the general population. The primary research question is: “How do women in collective/group farming initiatives learn to build capacity for food justice?”. The study found the building of a robust set of capacities such as effective leadership, participatory decision-making, and shared power critical to community development, thereby generating income, financial literacy, and a sense of empowerment. The findings also suggest that the women farmers are making steady gains in the arena of women’s agency and empowerment in harmony with their families, aided by 50,000 community educators who focus on building awareness about gender-based oppression and ways to combat it. This study pertains to two concerns in community development: 1) The role of the “invisible” learning dimension in capacity building and 2) food justice. The study is relevant to communities everywhere, including food-insecure pockets both in the global south and the global north.
Keywords: Learning, capacity building, the practice of food justice, women’s empowerment.
ContributorsMAHALINGAM, MAHALAKSHMI R (Author) / Mook, Laurie (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Thesis advisor) / Schugurensky, Daniel, 1958- (Committee member) / Larsen, Dale (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
The goal of this project was to create a quasi experimental study using an education module that teaches evidence-based practice methods. The theoretical frameworks used to create the educational content were the self-efficacy theory and the Health Belief Model. The evaluation methods used are based on the Kirkpatrick four level model. An education module was created to be culturally and regionally relevant to South Sudan and Malawi. The education module was designed to be part of the SolarSPELL Health: Nursing and Midwifery Library. This was done by performing a literature review, curating resources, creating the educational materials, creating learning scenarios, curating relevant belief scales, and integrating the content into the SolarSPELL Health: Nursing and Midwifery Library. The on ground implementation of the materials was not a part of this project, but instead is planned for future research. This project creates a foundation from which SolarSPELL Health can implement the resources at a future date. In the long term, the goal of implementing the experiment is to improve maternal mental and physical health outcomes in South Sudan and Malawi, both of which have extremely high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.
ContributorsRaymond, Courtney (Author) / Ross, Heather (Thesis advisor) / Hosman, Laura (Committee member) / Pepin, Susan (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021