Feminization of poverty, social entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods: Voices of social work students in South Africa

Abstract

Social entrepreneurship projects have been recognized as a major source of supplementing income and reducing poverty in femaleheaded households in contemporary South Africa. The study involved a short survey with 120 social work students who were involved in policy analysis and evaluation of women-led entrepreneurship projects in the province of Gauteng, South Africa between September and November 2019. This was followed by a review of policy analysis reports submitted by 40 students who consented. These 40 were drawn from the group of 120 students initially surveyed. The participants of the study were registered final-year social work students at one selected university in Gauteng province and who had a practice connection to women-led entrepreneurship projects in their home communities. All the participants gave their verbal and written permission to participate in the study. After all the data was put together, quantitative data was analysed using a spreadsheet and thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. Underscored by the sustainable livelihood approach, this paper deliberates four themes which distilled from the data: establishment of multi-stakeholder networks, tapping on infrastructure to produce goods, paying it forward and enhancing skills development. The paper calls for social workers to adopt a sustainable livelihood approach in practice as it presents a positive social development strategy that can assist poor women to work towards economic self-reliance.