A comparative study of the male and female discourses on adolescent pregnancy, sexuality and fertility in Groot Aub, Namibia
| dc.contributor.advisor | Edwards-Jauch Lucy | |
| dc.contributor.author | April, Jermine Letitia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-06-06T14:03:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-06-06T14:03:50Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2020 | |
| dc.description | A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Gender and Development Studies) | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study offered unique insights into the gendered discourses and power relations that create sexual double standards between male and female adolescents. It focused on the mapping of male and female discourses on adolescent pregnancy, sexuality and fertility in Groot Aub, Namibia. The study used critical discourse analysis to compare the cultural values, norms, practices, and perceptions about adolescent sexuality, pregnancy and fertility between men and women. With the use of stratified purposive sampling technique, 41 participants were interviewed using semi-structured and key informant interviews. The findings showed the sexual double standards that were reinforced by patriarchal, traditional and religious discourses. Female sexuality was mostly shamed and it was blamed for teenage pregnancy. These discourses pathologised pregnant teenagers and constructed girls as being sexually promiscuous and damaged. In return, boys who impregnated girls were described as "the guy" or "the man", who acts out of his "natural desires" and who are easily bribed by older women into early sexual debuts. Thus, the lack of male responsibility for their sexuality and fertility was normalised. These discourses inform traditional practices which exasperate gender sexual inequalities and power imbalances between men and women. Furthermore, conservative traditional, cultural and religious discourses dominated adolescent fertility discourses in Groot Aub. These fertility discourses were found to be embedded in gender stereotypes and myths, hence, fostering cultural silence on male sexuality and fertility. The researcher recommends an all-inclusive approach that targets both adolescent girls and boys, as well as women and men in the community on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) and teenage pregnancies to mitigate stigma, myths and stereotypes that are attached to adolescent SRH, and to transcend patriarchal and derogative cultural sexuality discourses | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11070/4005 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | University of Namibia | |
| dc.subject | Adolescent pregnancy | |
| dc.subject | Sexuality and Fertility | |
| dc.subject | Groot Aub | |
| dc.subject | Namibia | |
| dc.subject | University of Namibia | |
| dc.subject | Male | |
| dc.subject | Female | |
| dc.title | A comparative study of the male and female discourses on adolescent pregnancy, sexuality and fertility in Groot Aub, Namibia | |
| dc.type | Thesis |