Background: Antenatal care remains critical for identifying and managing complications contributing to maternal and infant mortality, yet attendance among women in South Africa persists as a challenge. Aim: This study aimed to understand the challenges faced by women attending antenatal care in Soweto, Johannesburg, using the three-delay model. Setting: This study was conducted in Soweto, Johannesburg. Methods: An exploratory, descriptive and qualitative research design was used, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 pregnant women and four women who had recently given birth. Results: Findings indicate delays in seeking care due to factors such as pregnancy unawareness, waiting for visible signs, and fear of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing. Challenges such as transportation difficulties, distance to clinics, and facility conditions further impeded the initiation of antenatal care. Late initiation often occurred to avoid long waits, inadequate facilities, language barriers and nurse mistreatment. Conclusion: From this study, we learn that challenges such as unawareness of pregnancy, cultural notions of keeping pregnancy a secret, fear of HIV testing, long waiting lines, high cost of transportation fees, clinic demarcation, shortage of essential medicines, broken toilets and verbal abuse from nurses have delayed women from initiating antenatal care early in Soweto, Johannesburg. Contribution: Challenges of women with antenatal care attendance in South Africa must be addressed by implementing community-based health education interventions, institutionalising HIV psycho-social support services and improving quality of antenatal care services in public health facilities.

This study explores the persistent barriers hindering women’s meaningful participation in South African politics, with a particular focus on the widespread lack of support that women encounter across various social and institutional domains. Despite South Africa’s progressive constitutional and legislative framework promoting gender equality, the research reveals that many women in politics face systemic non-support from family structures, peer networks, community members, political parties, and even fellow women leaders. Using a feminist political theory lens, particularly liberal and radical feminism, the study focuses on how these barriers constrain women’s political participation at the local level. The study specifically investigates how lack of support affects women’s ability to participate, exercise influence, and access decision-making in local governance. Qualitative data drawn from in-depth interviews highlights experiences of tokenism, exclusion from decision-making, inadequate mentorship, and intra-gender rivalry. Political parties, in particular, emerge as critical gatekeepers that publicly promote gender equity while privately reproducing male-dominated power structures. The study concludes that achieving substantive equality requires more than representational quotas; it demands a structural shift in political culture, values, and leadership practices to foster inclusive and supportive environments that empower women to lead authentically and effectively.

This study employs a qualitative systematic literature review to examine the barriers and opportunities for women’s leadership in academia, with a particular focus on South African higher education. Secondary data were sourced from peer-reviewed journal articles, books, dissertations, and opinion pieces, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of existing research. A total of 130 studies were reviewed, with data collected and analysed using qualitative content and thematic analysis methods. The findings highlight persistent structural, cultural, and institutional barriers that hinder women's advancement in academic leadership. These include gender bias in recruitment and promotion, the absence of mentorship and support networks, challenges in achieving work-life balance, and the intersectionality of race and gender, which disproportionately affects Black women. Despite the progress made through gender equity policies, the slow pace of transformation within male-dominated academic institutions remains a significant obstacle. However, the study also identifies key opportunities for women in leadership, such as the implementation of gender equity initiatives, the strengthening of mentorship programmes, and the increasing recognition of diverse and inclusive leadership styles within universities. Institutional commitment to gender transformation, alongside global frameworks such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), presents a pathway for women to attain leadership positions. The study stresses the need for continued institutional reforms that challenge traditional gender norms, foster mentorship, and promote work-life balance policies to achieve sustainable gender equity in academic leadership.

This study examined the determinants affecting women's empowerment in political involvement within the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) in the Eastern Cape Province. A qualitative inductive technique was utilised to obtain insights from female ward and proportional representation councillors, involving 10 key informant interviews to examine their experiences in local governance. The research was based on feminist theories that underscore the necessity for social equality and the deconstruction of patriarchal frameworks within political situations. The results indicated that social support, knowledge, and accessible forums for women to articulate their perspectives were crucial in enabling women's active participation in local politics. The study emphasised the significance of executing existing policies and cultivating personal drive as essential factors for increasing women's political participation. The results highlighted the importance of establishing a supportive atmosphere that prioritises women for political roles and the need for chances for them to express their views. The research demonstrated that women's political drive and legacy are crucial in encouraging future generations of female leaders. This study offers a thorough analysis of the elements that can enhance women's empowerment in municipal politics, hence fostering greater female representation and involvement in decision-making processes.

This research examines the ongoing under-representation of women in leadership positions within South African higher education institutions (HEIs). Despite a considerable increase in the number of women entering academia, their advancement to top leadership roles remained markedly constrained. This study analysed secondary data from forty scholarly articles published between 2010 and 2023 to investigate the intricate impediments obstructing women's advancement, the wider consequences of these challenges, and viable measures for enhancing gender parity in academic leadership. The results indicated that deep-rooted systemic and cultural obstacles, along with an absence of supportive legislation, sustained gender disparities within institutional hierarchies. Proposals for modification encompassed the establishment of explicit trajectories for women's professional advancement, gender-sensitive leadership training initiatives, mentorship programs to assist aspiring female leaders, and revisions to institutional regulations to foster diversity. The study emphasised the necessity for ongoing evaluation of gender equality policies and enhanced accountability mechanisms to guarantee continued advancement towards equitable representation in leadership.

This study investigates the emotional challenges experienced by LGBTQI+ individuals during the coming-out process. The coming-out experience is often regarded as a personal journey, but it is significantly influenced by psychological and social stressors, such as discrimination, stigma, and fear of rejection. These factors can create emotional turbulence, manifesting as anxiety, depression, or a lack of self-acceptance, which can persist even after the coming-out process. The study uses minority stress theory as a framework to understand how external societal stressors, like societal rejection and discrimination, and internal stressors, such as internalised stigma, shape the emotional experience of coming out. The review systematically examines 103 academic and non-academic sources to explore key themes related to the emotional challenges of coming out. The main themes identified include family rejection, self-identity struggles, social stigma, and cultural influences, particularly how family and societal expectations affect emotional well-being. Additionally, the study explores how intersectionality, understood here as the overlapping of different identity factors such as culture, religion, and gender identity, influences the emotional challenges experienced by participants. However, intersectionality is not employed as a theoretical framework in this study; rather, it is used as a conceptual lens to highlight the complexity of participants’ lived experiences. The findings suggest that coming out is not only about revealing one’s sexual orientation or gender identity, but also about navigating complex emotional terrain shaped by fear of rejection and societal marginalisation. The emotional challenges are exacerbated by family dynamics, cultural norms, and religious beliefs. However, the study also highlights the emergence of supportive communities and inclusive environments that can offer emotional resilience and coping strategies for individuals undergoing this process.