School of Humanities, Society & Development

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Browsing School of Humanities, Society & Development by Advisor "Nhemachena, Artwell"

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    An investigation into women’s economic empowerment in the blue economy: A case study of Omankete seafood processors in Walvis Bay, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Fololindo, Tjova Raulinda; Nhemachena, Artwell
    Namibia's fishing industry is the third largest contributor to gross domestic product (GDP), accounting for approximately 20% of export earnings. Despite such stellar numbers, women are still not sufficiently empowered to gain economic opportunities in this industry due to a lack of knowledge and technical know-how and it being a male-dominated sector, hence the gender disparities. This study explored the opportunities and barriers to women’s economic empowerment in the fishing industry, including how their economic empowerment is perceived by women employed by Omankete Seafood Processors Pty (Ltd). The study contributes to the policy changes in the fishing industry. The study was informed by the Women Empowerment Framework (WEF), which aims to move towards gender equity and gender equality. Moreover, the framework takes into consideration the four dimensions of women’s empowerment, which are: women to access resources, exercise self-awareness, mobilize their rights, and control their environment. The study made use of the qualitative research methodology employing the case study approach. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews, with a total of 28 participants (4 key informants and 24 female factory workers) through purposive sampling. The data was subjected to thematic analysis, from which it was determined that women do derive opportunities and benefits from the fishing industry in the form of monetary compensation and access to pension funds. Moreover, the study found that women are hindered from actively participating in the industry due to certain job opportunities only being available to men. Future studies will benefit from interviewing more fishing companies and employees employed in auxiliary services. This research aimed to examine opportunities for women’s economic empowerment in the Namibian fishing industry and explore constraints to women’s economic empowerment in the fishing industry. The research study further explored perceptions of the empowerment of women in the fishing industry
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    Workers’ experiences of COVID-19 challenges: A case study of Safari Court Hotel’s retrenched employees, Windhoek, Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2025) Tuvadimbwa, Mirjam Puye-Ipawa N; Nhemachena, Artwell
    The repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic were felt not just as a worldwide health issue, but also in Namibia's economy and employment rates. Various industries suffered economically as a result of lockdown measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus. The Namibian hospitality industry was one of the most impacted since it relies heavily on foreign tourists; as a result, many workers in the hotel industry were laid off or had their salary reduced. The study aimed to investigate and analyse the issues faced by workers retrenched from the Safari Court hotel as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as how their livelihoods altered as a result. Data was acquired through semi-structured interviews with twenty individuals (15 retrenched workers and 5 relatives/friends of the retrenched workers) using the qualitative research approach. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants. Based on the findings of the survey, all workers had difficulties as a result of retrenchment. Financial issues, health (including mental health), and employment challenges were among the most significant challenges faced by workers. Finally, the study recommends that the government and many companies should build effective pandemic preparation strategies for the future