Despite extensive global and local evidence indicating a high prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), underreporting of IPV cases remains pervasive worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Botswana. This underreporting significantly distorts the true magnitude of IPV, thereby undermining the formulation and implementation of effective policies and interventions. This qualitative study explores the perceived hindrances to IPV reporting from the perspective of police officers. Data were collected through purposive sampling of twelve (12) booking officers who had experience handling IPV cases and were on duty during the data collection period at three police stations in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes within the data systematically. The findings reveal that the factors contributing to women’s vulnerability to IPV concurrently serve as barriers to reporting. Key deterrents include economic dependency on the abuser, fear of relationship dissolution, and the loss of financial support. Cultural beliefs and societal stigma also play a critical role, as victims fear being labelled weak and ridiculed rather than supported. Additionally, concerns about protecting family reputation, the perceived insensitivity or rudeness of police officers, and instances in which offenders apologize, and victims reconcile further discourage reporting. Ignorance and deliberate avoidance of confronting the abuse compound these challenges. Based on these findings, the study recommends enhanced police training emphasizing sensitivity and cultural competence, the development of socially informed approaches for addressing IPV, and increased public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and encourage reporting in Botswana. These measures are essential for improving support systems and ensuring the effectiveness of IPV interventions in similar socio-cultural contexts.
Arguably, the achievement of independence of most African countries that started in the 1960s ushered in the post-colonial era for Africa. This article explores the myth of post-colonialism in Africa and its ongoing manifestations. The manifestation categories addressed in the article are stolen artefacts and African spirituality, linguicide and ethnocide, the loss of the African naming system, internalised colonialism and beauty standards, and mental health. The authors argue that the most significant barrier to decolonisation and social development remains the denial that colonisation and its attendant colonialism still exist in Africa. Generally, a problem or challenge that is denied cannot be identified and subsequently addressed. Hence, this article fosters critical consciousness of ongoing colonialism, which should lay the foundation for genuine actions towards decolonisation of and in Africa.
The study was conducted in Buhigwe District, Kigoma Region, Tanzania. It aimed to identify predictors of family support sufficiency among older persons. The cross-sectional, quantitative study used data from 357 individuals aged 60 and above. Researchers employed a survey approach, using a structured questionnaire as the data collection tool. They first performed descriptive analysis, followed by multivariable binary logistic regression to determine the predictors of family support sufficiency. The results showed that the average age was 74.48±9.86 years, 51% were female; 59.1% lacked formal education; 58.5% were married; and 48.2% reported poor health. The majority (42%) came from poor households. Most support providers engaged in agriculture (70.3%). Support receipt rates were 79.8% for financial support, 71.2% for emotional support, and 35.6% for physical support. Additionally, 51.9% were satisfied with the support received. Furthermore, 82.1% reported a strong commitment to filial obligations. Higher odds of receiving sufficient support were associated with being from wealthier households (aOR = 1.786; 95% CI: 1.009-3.161; P <0.05). Lower odds were associated with having a support provider engaged in a small business (aOR = 0.525; 95% CI: 0.296-0.932; P < 0.05) and with coming from families with weaker commitment to filial obligations (aOR = 0.126; 95% CI: 0.063-0.250; P < 0.001). Overall, the economic status of older persons and support providers, along with commitment to familial responsibilities, were significant predictors of support sufficiency. The study suggests that government strategies should aim to strengthen family capacity, particularly through economic empowerment, to promote independence and self-esteem among older persons. Declining filial obligation reflects the eroding traditional values that once supported older persons. Stakeholders must collaborate to educate the youth and communities, preserving cultural norms and practices that foster intergenerational support.
Using the social exclusion theory, this study examines how institutional structures, infrastructure, and social attitudes influence the educational experiences of students with disabilities, with a focus on accessibility, support systems, and academic inclusion. The study aims to examine the institutional support offered to differently abled students at two rural universities in South Africa and to explore the barriers to inclusion they face in these institutions. A qualitative approach was employed through an interpretative phenomenological design. Data were collected from 12 differently abled participants and three key informants, who were purposively selected through semi-structured interviews at two rural South African universities. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. The study found that the Disability Unit plays a crucial role in supporting students, particularly those with disabilities. However, it also identified structural and systemic barriers to inclusion, including infrastructural barriers, inaccessible lecture venues, and a lack of empathy and awareness among lecturers. The students also highlighted personal challenges and experiences related to their disabilities that negatively affect their academic experience. Despite policy frameworks advocating for inclusion, rural universities remain inadequately equipped to accommodate differently abled students. The study recommends a holistic approach to address these challenges—one that includes infrastructural modifications, faculty sensitisation, and expanded disability support services. Findings underscore the need for institutional reforms to enhance accessibility and inclusivity in higher education, ensuring equal opportunities for differently abled students.
Rates of period poverty in Zimbabwe have been on the rise, with various non-governmental organisations and the government employing temporary measures to curb menstrual challenges. This qualitative study, therefore, investigates the factors that perpetuate period poverty and identifies innovative, culturally appropriate, decolonised solutions rooted in African Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Mungate, Domboshava, Zimbabwe. A phenomenological research design was employed, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews from 18 participants. The collected data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings on factors perpetuating period poverty are centred on a complex interplay of cultural, economic, environmental, and social issues amongst girls and women. On the other hand, the culturally appropriate solutions that were proffered include educational programmes on traditional knowledge and practice, the use of traditional plants as medicines, and the production of sanitary wear. Considering these findings, it is recommended that culturally sensitive programs be developed and implemented that incorporate traditional knowledge and practices. This could include designing educational initiatives focused on conventional medicines, plants, and practices that resonate with the community’s cultural values. Additionally, integrating these traditional elements into rehabilitation and health services may foster greater acceptance and greater efficiency in addressing period poverty.
This analytic autoethnography reflects on two studies conducted by the researchers in rural Zimbabwe in partial fulfillment of their Master of Social Work degrees. The studies employed African indigenous research methodologies, utilising African-centred data collection methods such as walks and talks, dialogue approaches, and task approaches. African-centred research ethics were applied, including the Local Language Approach, the Total Agreement Technique, and the San method. This article discusses the benefits of decolonised research methodologies, including community empowerment, social justice, sustainability, the use of local languages, and alignment with African ethics. However, it also highlights the challenges of decolonised methodologies, such as the rejection of related manuscripts by reputable journals due to their methods, the time-consuming and costly nature of the process, and the potential risk of community rejection for researchers. The article provides recommendations for social workers, journal editors, editorial boards, academic publishers, and universities to challenge the hegemony of Western methods and promote the use of decolonised research methodologies, not only in conducting research but throughout the knowledge production process. Moreover, by adopting a postcolonial approach to knowledge production, social work research can become more inclusive, contextual, and responsive to the needs of African communities.
When land was redistributed in Zimbabwe at the turn of the millennium, women were also beneficiaries, despite there being a gender dimension in land redistribution. This study examines the socio-economic benefits of women empowerment in small-scale farming (A1 farming) among female farmers in Raffingora, Zimbabwe. The study employed a qualitative approach through an exploratory case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 participants and 5 key informants. From the data analysed through thematic analysis, the participants reflected that they benefitted from women empowerment programmes in farming through asset accumulation, independence in decision-making, improved nutrition, improved housing conditions, and improved agricultural practices, despite a plethora of challenges. The researchers then suggest a need to include women in agricultural decision-making processes by removing gender barriers if sustainable agriculture and women's empowerment are to be fully achieved.
This study investigates perceived causes and associated effects of food insecurity in Kotwa, Mudzi district, Zimbabwe. The study comes at a time when the majority of Zimbabweans are food insecure due to the recent El Niño-induced drought and the situation is worse in rural agro-based communities. We made use of decolonised qualitative methodology through the Ubuntu research approach. We collected data from 11 participants and 3 key informants through dialogue and task approaches. Data were analysed through advanced manual analysis which emphasises the use of native languages in data analysis to ensure that cultural aspects reflected in the data are not lost. In line with the perceived causes of food insecurity, participants highlighted a lack of adequate rainfall, high temperatures, poor soils, laziness and dependence, as well as poverty and unemployment as the causes of food insecurity. The consequences that were reflected include poor physical and mental health, domestic violence, child marriages, crime, and family disintegration. We then recommended, among other recommendations, that there is a need to assist rural agro-based populations with resources and knowledge to produce food despite adverse climatic conditions, and the revival of traditional food insecurity practices like the Zunde raMambo to ensure that communities can rescue households that are food insecure, and not wait for external intervention. Moreover, the government of Zimbabwe should urgently refocus its efforts on addressing food insecurity because it is a threat to national development as it affects well-being and productivity whilst also incubating a host of social problems.
The prevalence rate of substance use in women has escalated world over, yet, little is known about their access to available substance use treatment services. This study, through a feminist lens, examines the perspectives of social workers coordinating substance use programmes in South Africa’s Limpopo province on the barriers that women face in accessing substance use treatment services. We adopted a qualitative approach through an exploratory-descriptive research design and conducted semi-structured telephonic interviews with 20 social workers within the Department of Social Development. Data that were analysed through thematic content analysis shows that women encounter personal barriers, like lack of motivation to change and denial about the substance use problem, together with external obstacles such as the shortage of treatment facilities and limited government investment in substance use treatment. The authors then recommend that the government invest more financial resources in substance use treatment to address some of the barriers that women face when seeking treatment.
This review article explores the governance of social protection programs (SPPs) in alleviating poverty in Botswana, using stakeholder theory as a framework. It highlights that the governance of SPPs is an under-researched aspect of Botswana's social policy. Utilising an exploratory case study design and document analysis, the study examines governance strategies and the effectiveness of SPPs in combatting poverty and inequality. Findings indicate that while vulnerable groups benefit from SPPs, wealth distribution remains unequal, marginalising certain communities. Key governance strategies include stakeholder engagement, public awareness, and monitoring from the Department of Social Development. Challenges such as inadequate coordination among various government structures and capacity limitations for social workers are noted. The study calls for increased government transparency in social protection measures to address structural inequalities and empower citizens, contributing valuable insights for improving SPPs in Botswana and other emerging economies.
The notion that housing is the bedrock of the social and economic development of families and communities is well acknowledged in all societies. From a social development and social policy perspective, this conceptual paper provides a compelling argument about the dividends that accrue from integrating housing and education planning. The rights to housing and education are social investments that promote human, social and economic development. The impact of Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) and its subsequent lockdowns were too severe on children from poor households who occupied inadequate housing. The authors make use of a literature methodology that synthesises United Nations policies and updates on COVID-19, empirical research and government policies and steps taken to attenuate the impact of the pandemic. The paper establishes that the country is still impaired by high levels of poverty which locks poor children in poor schools and poor housing. During COVID-19, millions of these children had their rights to education undermined because their economic and housing circumstances could not allow them to participate in online learning. Having established the essential social development potential of housing it is therefore fitting to rethink how social policy could be employed to dovetail the housing and education nexus. The authors recommend research to help envision this relationship, not only from a theoretical level but also from collaborative implementation processes.
Through the dual lenses of the psychosocial theory of development and the social learning theory, this multi-disciplinary study looks at the psycho-social effects of social media use on Generation-Z adolescent girls in Zimbabwe, colloquially identified as ‘Ama2000’. This study employed a qualitative approach through a narrative research design. Interviews were conducted with 11 adolescent girls and 4 key informants. Data that were analysed through narrative analysis established that many young girls suffer from body dysmorphic disorder as they felt that their bodies were contrary to the ideal figure depicted on social media platforms. Others also acquired a ‘borrowed identity’ to ‘fit’ into ideal social categories, leading to a low concept of self. Most female adolescents are addicted to social media platforms due to the fear of missing out (FOMO) on trending issues. Ultimately, this affects their worldview and how they interpret themselves and the world around them. The researchers then advocate for the introduction of school social work to strengthen the cognitive processing agency for young girls and educate guardians and teachers on interceptive child-protection practices that can assist them in monitoring their children’s online presence for improved digital well-being.
Aim: This article reviews literature on medical social work practice in hospital settings. The overall goal of medical social work practice in hospitals is to prevent and reduce negative psychosocial-spiritual consequences due to diseases and teach patients and families how to mobilise the available resources. Undeniably, medical social work practice is integral to medical and hospital settings, predominantly when working in a team to improve the patient’s treatment outcome. Methods: This article reviewed online research articles and reports on medical social work practice in hospital settings. Keywords used in conducting the literature review were: medical social work practice, hospital, health practitioners, roles of medical social workers, and inter-professional collaborative practice. The Boolean Operator conjunctive ‘AND’ was used in the mixture of these keywords to enlarge the search process. The databases used for electronic searches of the literature were Google Scholar, ProQuest Central, PubMed Central, and ResearchGate. Results: We conclude that medical social workers perform different roles in the hospital settings nevertheless they are not understood by health practitioners, no consensus amongst health practitioners as to whether inter-professional collaborative practice contributes to the treatment outcome of patients. Factors impeding medical social work practice in hospital settings are also discussed. We suggest that what remains to be explored are the medical practitioners’ experiences in medical social work practice in hospital settings. Findings from this reviewed article contribute significantly to the field of medical social work which is in the infancy stage, particularly in Tanzania and comparable countries.
Globally, the upsurge in internet and social media usage has prompted new ways of gatekeeping and coping strategies significantly transforming the character of political participation research and practice with far-reaching implications for consolidation of democratic governance and social development. Social networking sites and mobile instant messaging platforms have triggered new forms of both political mobilization and resistance calling into question the efficacy and sustainability of the traditional gatekeeping in research. There is little doubt that the nuances and dynamics of digitalized gatekeeping have a profound capacity to facilitate and inhibit the research process. Through a combination of a critical review of documentary information and snippets of practical experiences drawn from Zimbabwe, the article examines the various gatekeeping mechanisms in digitalized political participation research and delineates the possible circumvention interventions. The main dimensions of digital user surveillance and profiling technologies at various levels of the research process are not only mutually reinforcing but also largely panoptic. Since gatekeeping mechanisms in digital research are situated at the meeting point of internet freedom and surveillance, they inadvertently evoke methodological and ethical challenges.
The study investigates the complexities of practising as a medical social worker in the Zimbabwean health sector. The aim of the study, therefore, was to identify the challenges faced by medical social workers within multi-professional settings. A qualitative research approach was adopted for the study. The study further utilised a phenomenological research design. This is because it offered an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of professional medical social workers. The study targeted qualified medical social workers and social work students on internships in the hospital. The study, therefore, had 6 primary participants and 3 key informants. The key informants included a doctor, a nurse and an administrator. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. From the findings, the study established that medical social workers face the challenges of power dynamics, high caseloads, lack of resources, misunderstanding of the role of medical social work and professional mistrust among many others. The study made various recommendations to deal with challenges faced by medical social workers. The study recommended the need to recruit more social workers, to have clear guidelines on medical social work, and to develop an inter-professional collaboration committee at public hospitals for instruction on the expectations.
In Africa, the caregiving of older adults is primarily provided by the family. However, there have been changes in these traditional caregiving practices due to changing social, economic and health landscapes, requiring a transformative approach to caring for older people in Africa. The AU Policy Framework and Plan Action on Aging/HAI have made recommendations considering the inadequacies of family caregiving. This narrative literature review examined the arguments of scholars within the position of AU/HAI recommendations within the culture of informal care for older people as well as what potential challenges and opportunities arise from the evolving perspectives on caregiving in Africa. The Ubuntu and Relational-Cultural theories were used as a framework for the study. Findings reveal that scholars have justifiably argued for the adaptation of the African perspective on caregiving for older people due to its inadequacy in addressing evolving health, social, and economic factors associated with ageing. Scholars advocate for a paradigm shift towards a more robust and integrative system of care that considers not only the traditional values and familial structures but also aligns with the changing needs of the older population to foster a supportive and effective caregiving environment for older people in Africa. It is recommended that an encompassing social care, policies, and programs should reflect the specific concerns of older women and men such that all people, irrespective of age, can live long and healthy lives.
With the rise in substance use disorders in Zimbabwe, several interventions have been instituted, but the problem continues on an upward trajectory. One aspect that has been neglected is the reintegration of young people recovering from substance use disorders. As such, this study investigates the challenges that youths recovering from substance use disorders face in Highfield, Harare. We adopted a qualitative interpretative phenomenological design and interviewed 12 participants and 4 key informants. Data were analysed through interpretative phenomenological analysis. From the findings, youths recovering from substance use disorders face several challenges in their reintegration and these include social stigma, lack of empowerment programs, stress, idleness, relapse and lack of social support. We then recommended the need to extend reintegration and aftercare services through the case management system, the prioritisation of income-generating projects for reintegrated youths, community sensitisation, and the development of a substance use policy that addresses issues of reintegration, among others.
