The protection of indigent widows’ right to social assistance in South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorBudoo-Scholtz, Ashwanee
dc.contributor.coadvisorJegede, Ademola Oluborode
dc.contributor.emailcrystalamenda@yahoo.comen_US
dc.contributor.postgraduateMokoena, Untalimile Crystal
dc.date.accessioned2023-11-29T06:48:56Z
dc.date.available2023-11-29T06:48:56Z
dc.date.created2023-12-08
dc.date.issued2023
dc.descriptionThesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2023.en_US
dc.description.abstractThis study seeks to critically analyse the protection of the indigent widows’ rights to social assistance in South Africa. The right to social assistance is one of the major strands of an internationally and domestically protected right to social security. Social assistance, however, does not extend to indigent widows; this is regardless of the express protection by the apex law of the country. Only widows eligible to benefit from social insurance enjoy social security in South Africa. This leaves a significant portion of widows unprotected since owing to high unemployment rates only a minority can contribute towards social insurance. Supplementary to the vulnerability of women, widows suffer multiple human rights violations exacerbated by various cultural practices. Most of the widowhood rites imposed on widows, directly or indirectly, impact on their social security. Using both doctrinal and socio-legal research methodologies, this thesis answers the question of how South Africa can ensure better protection of widows' right to access to social assistance. The doctrinal research methodology is used to facilitate a thorough analysis of legal ideologies and principles while the socio-legal research approach helps to analyse and understand the law in context. The thesis’ contribution to knowledge is that it argues that South African indigent widows do not enjoy the constitutionally-guaranteed right to access to social assistance. The Constitution expressly states that this right must be extended to everyone unable to support himself or herself, despite this, the indigent widows cohort cannot access this right. This is because the legal framework tasked with the administration of social assistance does not include indigent widows. The social relief of distress which could be the one cushioning indigent widows is presented with challenges that this thesis finds to be a barrier to the enjoyment of the right. Among the findings of this research is that the plight of widows makes them eligible for social assistance, therefore, the South African legal framework should consider granting indigent widows’ social assistance. Some of the recommendations include employing an interpretative approach to the Social Assistance Act which would include indigent widows’ social assistance. Furthermore, the country may consider empowerment programmes, directly aimed at uplifting indigent widows.en_US
dc.description.availabilityUnrestricteden_US
dc.description.degreeDoctor of Legum (LLD)en_US
dc.description.departmentCentre for Human Rightsen_US
dc.description.facultyFaculty of Lawsen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-01:No povertyen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-02:Zero Hungeren_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-03:Good heatlh and well-beingen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-05:Gender equalityen_US
dc.description.sdgSDG-10:Reduces inequalitiesen_US
dc.identifier.citation*en_US
dc.identifier.otherD2023en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/93517
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherUniversity of Pretoria
dc.rights© 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
dc.subjectUCTDen_US
dc.subjectWidowsen_US
dc.subjectHuman rightsen_US
dc.subjectSocial assistanceen_US
dc.subjectSocial securityen_US
dc.subjectLivelihood
dc.titleThe protection of indigent widows’ right to social assistance in South Africaen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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