Search

Mainstream news outlets often frame protests adversely, discrediting demonstrators or minimising their demands. However, we lack knowledge on how social protests are framed by online-native news sites. The Marcha por la Dignidad Nacional (MDN) is a social protest launched by relatives of disappeared persons in Mexico, with the purpose of demanding from the federal government concrete actions and policies to address the crisis of disappearances of persons. Through a textual analysis of news stories about the MDN, produced by a sample of three Mexican mainstream news outlets’ digital editions and three online-native news sites, this research analyzes whether and how framing of the MDN differ between the two types of news organizations. The results indicate that two mainstream news outlets tend to use episodic framing more frequently, while two online-native news sites tend to use thematic framing more frequently. No evidence of description bias or the use of disqualifying labels to refer to demonstrators of the MDN was found in any of the six news organizations analyzed.

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how Ley 20.786 has contributed to the improvement of working conditions and the empowerment of household workers in Chile. Ley 20.786 was passed in 2014 in Chile, and it formalizes the working conditions of all household employees, regardless of job status or nationality. To analyze how household workers have the capacity to exercise choice, I draw on the semi-structured interviews I carried out during my fieldwork in Santiago de Chile. The results indicate that there are some improvements in the working conditions of domestic workers as a result of Ley 20.786. The results also suggest that the women in this job sector find ways to configure their power relations at work, become aware of their traditional vulnerable position by accessing information about their labour rights, and that they make use of their resources, agency, and achievements to gain a sense of empowerment. This thesis contributes to the largely unexplored topic of domestic workers’ empowerment in Chile and Latin America.

This thesis explores the capacity of woman activists at the Burma-Thailand border to influence the sources of their gendered marginalization. These woman activists are part of an expanding women’s movement comprised of political exiles, documented refugees, undocumented refugees and migrant workers from Burma, living in exile communities along the Burma-Thailand border. Feminist researchers have pointed to the gendered marginalization women experience in regions of conflict and displacement, arguing that conflict affects women differently than men. Further, researchers in peace-building and refugee studies have highlighted the important role exile communities play in addressing the roots of their displacement, fostering stability in their communities, and promoting positive social change in their exile communities and country of origin. I conducted individual interviews, focus groups, and participation observation with woman activists working for women’s organizations in Mae Sot and Chiang Mai, Thailand, to explore the constraints and opportunities for activism that they experience in their daily lives. My research indicates that the experience of ‘social flux’ that characterizes exile communities facilitates expanded opportunities for women to be involved in activism. These opportunities have facilitated the women’s movement’s use of a grassroots capacity building strategy that has led to the expansion of their informal power in their exile communities, and in turn, the expansion of their opportunities to influence the sources of their marginalization.

This thesis investigates an adult education program led by Casa de la Mujer, a women’s organization in San Juan del Sur in the south of Nicaragua. At this centre, women acquire vocational skills and engage in workshops about women’s rights, domestic violence awareness and sexual and reproductive health. Several gender and development scholars suggest that empowerment can be achieved through women’s informal education programs that aim to facilitate critical learning for consciousness-raising and self-awareness. This was the topic of my field research at this centre. I conducted semi-structured interviews and participant observation to gain an understanding of how those in the program feel that their participation has impacted their gendered power social relations and livelihood opportunities. My research indicates that despite facing various barriers, through the skills development and gender training programs participants of Casa de la Mujer are able to act as agents to make strategic life decisions.

This thesis is an investigation of whether or not fair trade coffee production can deliver on women's empowerment. Over the course of six weeks I conducted interviews with members of Cafe? Femenino, an all-women coffee producing organization in Peru, as well, as with community leaders, organization leaders and technical support workers. My research design was informed by feminist standpoint theory and I used Longwe's Women's Empowerment Framework to define, measure and theorize women's empowerment. From my research, I found that while the women of Cafe? Femenino have become empowered or are in the process of achieving empowerment, the relationship between fair trade and women's empowerment is indirect. Rather, their empowerment is achieved as the result of a combination of strong and creative leadership, collective organization, and support from external agents and the general community, including husbands and fathers.

The literature focused on the lives of conventional farm families is extensive. However, with the exception of one comprehensive study, there is minimal academic literature dedicated to the lives of organic farm families. This research focuses on gender relations on organic farms. The research question is: do men and women on organic farms have an equitable and non-traditional gendered division of labour and do they share equally in the decision making process? I conducted fourteen in-depth interviews with organic farm women in heterosexual relationships. Patriarchy, the exchange bargaining model, and the subsistence perspective were utilized as my frameworks. This research found that organic farm families follow a traditional division of labour, however, spouses share equally in all farm related decisions. Examining gender relations on organic farms will determine if organic farms are socially beneficial which in turn can be promoted alongside the environmental benefits to increase the well-being of Canadians.