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Current Awareness 2022: February

This monthly post, compiled by the Information Search Librarians Team, will note special dates and themes, and draw your attention to possibly interesting cross-disciplinary topical references intended to inform and to inspire ideas for research.

What is current awareness

Current awareness is the term used to describe staying informed by keeping up to date with the latest publications, research and news in your field.

The perspective of current awareness is the present and the forthcoming, as opposed to the retrospective. 

Current awareness ranges from looking for information on specific topics on a regular basis (and this usually involves the assistance of your Personal Librarian to help you set up a search profile matched to your research interests) to embracing a wider, more general, and cross-disciplinary view that brings an element of serendipity into your search for the latest information.

Informally, researchers remain alert in all contexts for useful information and insights that will inform their daily practice, their research, and spark off innovative and creative ideas for new avenues of research.

Websites of the month

Rand water

History of Rand Water

In 1886 when gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand scarcity of water was a problem.

At the time water was drawn from the Fordsburgspruit, as well as from a spring at the eastern end of Commissioner Street, near the present day End Street. The source was named Natalspruit. Another water point was a spring at the site of the present Johannesburg General hospital in Parktown.

Later it was realised that more water was needed for the processing of ore.

More information …

 

UN Water

UN-Water coordinates the efforts of UN entities and international organizations working on water and sanitation issues.

 

 

United Nations Headquarters in New York. UN Photo/Juao Pinto

Why we exist

There is no single UN entity dedicated exclusively to water issues. Over 30 UN organizations carry out water and sanitation programmes, reflecting the fact that water issues run through all of the UN’s main focus areas. UN-Water’s role is to coordinate so that the UN family ‘delivers as one’ in response to water related challenges.

About the monthly awareness page

The year is marked with many special days, weeks, and months dedicated and devoted to raising awareness about important issues.

This monthly post, compiled by the Information Search Librarians Team, will note special dates and themes, and draw your attention to possibly interesting cross-disciplinary topical references intended to inform and to inspire ideas for research.

Selected noteworthy days in February

2 Feb World Wetlands Day 2022    

World wetlands day

4 Feb: World Cancer Day 2022

World cancer day

6 Feb International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

11 Feb The International Day of Women & Girls in Science Forum

The Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT) celebrates the 7th International Day of Women and Girls in Science Assembly on 11 February 2022 at UN Headquarters in New York, in a virtual format.

Following the adoption of UNGA Resolution A/RES/70/212 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, RASIT continues to work with UN Member States, Inter-Governmental Organizations and the United Nations and its entities to achieve equality in science, technology, and innovation for socio-economic sustainable development in line with the UN Agenda 2030 and its SDGs.

10 Feb State of the Nation Address to a Joint Sitting of Parliament by President Cyril Ramaphosa, Cape Town, South Africa

The State of the Nation Address sets out government’s key policy objectives and deliverables for the year ahead, highlights achievements, flags challenges and outlines interventions to unlock development interventions for the coming financial year.

12 Feb 6th Ubuntu Awards Ceremony

The 6th Ubuntu Awards Ceremony takes place in Cape Town on Saturday evening. The Ubuntu Awards seek to recognise the efforts of South Africans who promote South Africa’s national interests and values through their service and personal contribution towards advancing the country’s image across the globe.

13 Feb World Radio Day 2022

World radio day

18 -19 Feb Water and Sanitation conducts two-day National Water and Sanitation Summit in Midrand

A contingent of water and sanitation stakeholders will converge at Gallagher Estate in Midrand from 18 – 19 February to craft lasting solutions to challenges facing the sector to ensure water security and dignified sanitation in the country.

20 Feb  World Day of Social Justice 2022      

World social justice day

 

21 Feb International Mother Language Day    

  

21 Feb International Tourist Guide Day 2020 

International tourist guide day

 

In the media

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Archive

Should you wish to read Current Awareness guides of previous years, please visit the archive:

2014-2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

Looking for upcoming conferences?

If you are looking for forthcoming conferences, the following websites are helpful:

Golden oldies

Title: The scourge of poverty among South African rural women : in defence of social justice

Author Kgomotlokoa Linda, Thaba-Nkadimene Wilfred, & Molotja Thinavhudzulo Mafumo

Source : Journal of Gender, Information and Development in Africa (JGIDA)Volume 8 Number 3, Dec 2019

Abstract:

Literature reveals that South African rural women live in absolute poverty, and government initiatives to address and mitigate their circumstances are not effective. The rurality has brought plight of poverty to townships, villages and farm areas‘ residence, particularly black women. Their lives are characterised by lack of basic goods and services such as food, clothing, and housing. Among others, their vulnerability to abuse by religion, family traditions, societal and cultural customs impact negatively towards their economic active citizenship. Young and old women are discriminated against, and they are being denied access to take their rightful positions in their families, societies and land ownership and economic activities. The paper focuses on the plight of poverty among South African rural women, and explores intervention initiatives and legislative and policy framework with the aim to propose a conceptual framework that strives towards their emancipation and social justice. This paper is premised within the interpretivist paradigm, where the qualitative methods- interviews; document; and literature studies were used. Nine research participants from three age groups of rural women were selected. Research findings revealed, firstly, the existence of forced marriages, extramarital affairs and polygamy among South rural women. Secondly, research findings revealed that rural women experiences domestic violence; sexual abuse and rape. Lastly, that there was a lack of economic participation among rural women that robs them of their human right to decent works; and benefit from democracy. In conclusion, the injustices in African communities‘ compromise human rights of the South African rural women; and in the main the goal for social justice. This study recommends government intervention programmes that targets the emancipation and human development; and economic and social transformation that bring about social justice among South African rural women.

https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC-1a80d8ca1c

© Publisher

TitleSocial justice in planning : access to adequate drinking water and contested belonging in emerging communities of Mangaung in post-apartheid South Africa

  • Author Thulisile N. Mphambukeli
  • Source : African Renaissance, Volume 16 Number 2, 2019
  • Abstract:
  • Access to adequate drinking water, a hotly contested issue of twenty-first century, is closely linked to concepts of citizenship and rights that are often reduced to mean entitlement to vote, welfare, ownership and disposal of property and legal redress in the case of any infringement on these rights. This paper interrogates the entanglement of citizenship with access to potable water in the context of South Africa's waterscape marked by historically profound inequality. The paper identifies challenges associated with access to adequate water, documents strategies devised by the people to address the water crises and outlines the implications for planners towards incorporating social justice into their practices in the context of sustainable access to water and food nexus in BRICS-PLUS.

    © Publisher