Browsing by Author "Mamoepa, Bohlale Mashaa"

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    An ecofeminist analysis of environmental justice in South Africa: Mpumalanga Highveld and Cape Town region
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) Mamoepa, Bohlale Mashaa; Gouws, Amanda; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Political Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Environmental justice developed from a concept that only focused on environmental issues to one that includes social justice. Environmental justice is a movement addressing the social, economic and environmental injustices that marginalized groups in society experience. Increasing climate variabilities including droughts, floods, irregular weather patterns and varying planting and harvesting seasons has significantly affected not only human survival but also planetary systems. Rapid industrialization, urbanization, modernization and capitalism, rooted in Western patriarchal culture, has affected different populations disproportionately. Within the global South, vulnerable groups experience the burden of climate change, specifically women, the disabled and children. However, women disproportionately bear the brunt of ecological damage. South Africa has experienced the consequences of ecological degradation in significant way and. therefore has established ecological and environmental policies to move towards a low carbon sustainable future. The study seeks to explore whether the South African government promotes environmental justice and the effectiveness of its policies. This employs an Ecofeminist perspective to engage with how the same system that unjustifiably abuses, exploits, oppresses and dominates nature, also treats women and vulnerable communities the same way. The study uses a qualitative research methodology, applying an exploratory approach to provide a detailed understanding of people’s experiences with environmental injustices. A case study research design is employed looking at the Mpumalanga Highveld and Cape Town region. The study made use of semi-structured interviews, with participants drawn from three environmental justice organisations namely: Vukani Environmental Justice in Action, the Environmental Monitoring Group and Green Connection. The findings of this study indicate the lack of policy implementation in the respective case studies. The theoretical framework provides an analysis of the results, translating it through an Ecofeminist lens. The recommendations made for future research considers expanding the sample size for the findings that can be generalised. . Future research can further gain insight in including individuals at community level, for first hand data from those most vulnerable.