This research explores the relationship between the female gaze and feminist documentaries in the case of Palestine through three feature-length documentaries: The Judge by Erika Cohn, What Walaa...Show moreThis research explores the relationship between the female gaze and feminist documentaries in the case of Palestine through three feature-length documentaries: The Judge by Erika Cohn, What Walaa Wants by Christy Garland, and Naila and the Uprising by Julia Bacha. This thesis argues that the films demonstrate a few common features of the agency of Palestinian women and emphasize the importance of various issues related to their lives under patriarchy. This thesis argues that through their female subjectivity, experiences, and use of feminist aesthetics, this thesis argues that the female filmmakers innovatively and creatively expose these issues and put their subjects’ struggles at the forefront, as feminist documentary practices are set to do. As such, through their female gaze, the findings demonstrate that the sample of female filmmakers’ works leads to the critical re-thinking of the representation of Palestinian women and the questioning of patriarchy in Palestine.Show less
Narratives depicting women in war prominently represent women as vulnerable victims and rarely is female empowerment during war and post-war period brought to the fore. This thesis sheds light on...Show moreNarratives depicting women in war prominently represent women as vulnerable victims and rarely is female empowerment during war and post-war period brought to the fore. This thesis sheds light on how female empowerment is created in wartime and advocated in the post-war period. A common consensus among scholars is that women gain empowerment during times of war. According to scholars, the empowerment gained during war is lost in its aftermath. This thesis discusses female empowerment in Eritrea during the Eritrean War of Independence (1961-1991), and its effects on post-war Eritrean society. To answer the research question “How has female participation in the Eritrean War of Independence influenced the role of women in post-conflict Eritrean society?” this paper examines both quantitative and qualitative data to further the understanding of how concepts of patriarchy, social convention and empowerment paint a picture of Eritrean women’s lived reality. This paper argues that the ideology of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) failed to address women’s needs by erasing the feminine and repressing the domestic. The main struggle recognized in the research is the suppression of progressive self-confident former female fighters by the patriarchal beliefs of their families. While gender equality in the EPLF progressed over the course of the war, civil society was in a “frozen” state of emergency. Hence, when the war ended, civil society proceeded to revert to the traditional gender roles from the pre-war period.Show less
At the beginning of 2018, I did an internship at the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Before I went there, a friend told me to read the book Maid to Order in Hong Kong, written by Nicole...Show moreAt the beginning of 2018, I did an internship at the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong. Before I went there, a friend told me to read the book Maid to Order in Hong Kong, written by Nicole Constable. This book was full of stories about migrant workers seeking new jobs in Hong Kong for a better life. One particular chapter attracted my attention. It was the story about how domestic workers come together on Sundays, which is their only day off per week. They gather around on the Hong Kong Island and at other places in Hong Kong. The streets are filled with the so- called, domestic workers, most of them coming from the Philippines or Indonesia. When I visit these streets on Hong Kong Island I was overwhelmed by what I saw. Groups of these migrants were sitting on the ground, playing games, eating, laughing and dancing. Although it was interesting seeing people with so little, making the best way out of their life, there, is a whole different side to their lives. These groups are very vulnerable to exploitation and violation. There are so many stories of domestic workers being physically beaten or being exploited by their employers, but also how domestic workers cannot escape these awful situations through debt bondage of their recruitment agencies. However, over the last few years’ domestic workers are becoming more and more aware of their rights. NGOs are emerging to support these workers in foreign countries, but also several governmental interventions show increasing interest in the protection of migrants. Therefore, this thesis aim is to get a better understanding how multiple actors, like private institutions, recruitment agencies and NGOs impact the scope and frequency of migration, but more importantly how these actors create better opportunities for domestic workers to empower themselves.Show less
93% of the participants of the Brazilian Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is female. This makes the BFP an interesting case study because it raises the question if the programme has had an...Show more93% of the participants of the Brazilian Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is female. This makes the BFP an interesting case study because it raises the question if the programme has had an impact on the empowerment of its female beneficiaries. The main question that has been answered in this thesis is, therefore: Has the Bolsa Família programme empowered its female beneficiaries or has it reinforced traditional gender stereotypes?Show less
Community-based Eco-tourism (CBET) has been promoted as a model that can reconcile sustainable development and environmental conservation, and ultimately empower local populations. However, how...Show moreCommunity-based Eco-tourism (CBET) has been promoted as a model that can reconcile sustainable development and environmental conservation, and ultimately empower local populations. However, how this empowerment is achieved in particular among women is still largely debated given the gender norms in which these models are embedded. By focusing on Costa Rica as a case study, and drawing on an array of empirical evidence collated through desk research, this dissertation examines the role and participation of women in CBET initiatives; seeking to understand how women have been empowered through such models, and what the underlying factors that can promote or inhibit this. This study highlights that while the participation of women in CBET has been largely confined to the domestic spheres and underpinned by gender-defined activities, such opportunities are important in kick-starting and fomenting an initial process of empowerment that can be positively attributed to these schemes. Such changes are an initial stage of empowerment that can certainly ripple to other spheres and ultimately empower women.Show less
The discipline of astronomy offers a unique opportunity for both science and society through its potential for inspiration and empowerment. This dimension of astronomy is harnessed in a myriad of...Show moreThe discipline of astronomy offers a unique opportunity for both science and society through its potential for inspiration and empowerment. This dimension of astronomy is harnessed in a myriad of ways: through scientific research and training, education and communication programs and through artistic practice. Such artistic initiatives can serve as case studies for an analysis of astronomy-related art in the context of empowerment. This thesis presents a theory for the analysis of astronomy-related art: the paradigm of astroart.Show less
