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Journal of Social Development in Africa

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Vol 16 No 2 2001

Women, criminality and multifocal empowerment responses: some prospects for Botswana
TIRELO MODIE-MOROKA1 AND MARIE-ANTOINETTE SOSSOU2

1 Department of Social Work, University of Botswana and 
2 Department of Sociology and Social Work, University of Ghana, Legon.

ABSTRACT
Although the overall agenda of the women's movement is committed to recognizing the needs and aspirations of women and ending gender-based inequality, issues concerning women and crime have always been ignored. this paper documents the situation of women in prison in Botswana. although the proportion of prisoners who are women is relatively small, women constitute a growing subset of the entire prison population whose needs are different from those of men. whereas factors that draw women to criminal activities may not differ markedly for men and women, women's crime is a reaction to the special circumstances of their prolonged victimization and dispossession. the paper explores how prisons have historically served to enforce and reinforce women's traditional roles and to foster dependency and passivity. The paper combines empirical evidence collected through qualitative research conducted in six female prisons in Botswana with feminist and empowerment models used to highlight the personal experiences and psychosocial problems of women in prison. we argue for the development of gender-appropriate and gender-sensitive social services in education, economic and personal empowerment, legal aid, medical and counselling, among others, in order to help women prisoners take control of their lives.

Globalization and competitiveness: implications for poverty reduction in Uganda
AUGUSTUS NUWAGABA
Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda 

ABSTRACT
The paper focuses on the interface between globalization and poverty reduction in Uganda, beginning with the advances in information technology that have transformed the globe into a virtual village. The paper presents the macroeconomic framework that has characterized the global economy and its distorted benefits to developing countries. The exchange parity between exports and imports in both factor and product markets has been skewed against poor countries such as Uganda, exacerbating rather than reducing poverty. It is argued that globalized markets require a competitive capacity that the Ugandan economy does not have. It is because of this that most sub Saharan countries , including Uganda, have globalized through systemic shocks rather than making use of opportunities. Global competitiveness is, however, inevitable if the Ugandan economy is to catch up with global trends and patterns. Globalization can lead to adverse effects if poor countries open their economies without thinking. Globalization must be cautiously embraced if development is to be sustainable.

The role of the Adult Literacy Organization of Zimbabwe (ALOZ) in the implementation of literacy programmes in Zimbabwe
AARON T. SIGAUKE
Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Zimbabwe.

ABSTRACT
This study was carried out between October and December 1999. It looks at the nature of the literacy activities, successes and problems faced by the Adult Literacy Organization of Zimbabwe (ALOZ) in its efforts to spread literacy activities in the country. Data was collected by means of interviews and consultation of literature at the ALOZ offices. The study established that, while some successes have been scored, the organization faces various problems. This study makes recommendations that could redress these difficulties.

Globalization, Americanization and Western Imperialism
KOLAWOLE A. OWOLABI
Department of Philosophy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. 

ABSTRACT
This essay argues that globalization, as it is currently being orchestrated by America, is essentially aimed at the promotion of the imperialistic interests of Western society. This hegemony is sustained by propagating the philosophy of liberalism. Liberalism and its defence of individual autonomy necessarily promotes self-interest, whether at the level of the individual or the state. To avoid the injustice and possible anarchy that may arise as a result of this the philosophy of liberalism must be reviewed, based on criticisms by communitarians. The only way that globalization can attain a just integration and global peace is by jettisoning the individualism of liberalism for the altruism and sense of community of communitarianism. 


The military, ethnicity and democracy in Nigeria
EDLYNE E. ANUGWOM
Department of Sociology University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

ABSTRACT
This paper examines the military, ethnicity and democracy within the context of Nigeria's historical and sociopolitical reality.. Nigeria's inability to foster a sustainable democratic tradition has negative consequences for the country and at present, it is engaged in the fourth attempt at democracy. The quest for democracy and therefore development in Nigeria has been hindered by the disruptive influences of ethnicity and militarism. This paper sees ethnicity as a ploy used by the military to perpetuate itself in power at the expense of national development. The military's love for power stems partially from a love for wealth and partly from its self-image as the custodian of the independent and corporate existence of the country. If the democratic tradition is to be sustained in Nigeria, constitutional as well as policy measures should be adopted to tackle the issues of ethnicity and militarism.


The education of girls and women in Uganda
PETER R. ATEKYEREZA
Department of Sociology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

ABSTRACT
This paper analyses the contextual reasons for low enrolment and high dropout figures in Ugandan schools, particularly for women. It explains the extent to which sociocultural, economic, policy, and political factors are obstacles to the education of women in particular. It is partly based on the findings of study carried out in Uganda's Eastern District of Kamuli in 1996 by UNICEF/ACTIONAID Uganda in which the author was the team leader. Both primary and secondary comparative data show that sociocultural, economic and ideological factors greatly influence parents' or guardians' decisions on which of their children should receive education. Political factors and traditional customs pertaining to the social status of women which have been integrated, consciously or unconsciously, into the economic and political policy framework, further aggravate the precarious position of women. A clear explanation of the factors responsible for lack of accessibility and retention of girls in schools is needed if policies are to address the causes rather than symptoms of the problem.

The debt crisis, the global economy and the challenges of development: sub Saharan Africa at the crossroads
JOHN K. AKOKPARI
Department of Political & Administrative Studies, National University of Lesotho 

ABSTRACT 
Current initiatives by the G7 and other Western creditors to write off the debts of the world's heavily indebted countries, the majority of which are in sub Saharan Africa, has interested both African states themselves and among non-governmental organizations working towards poverty alleviation. If this is implemented, governments will no longer have to divert large proportions of national revenue away from development to debt-servicing obligations. This article argues, however, that sub Saharan Africa debt is attributable to both internal and external factors, aggravated by the hostile glo