Prof Raniga visits the United States

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In May 2023, Prof Tanusha Raniga visited four universities in the United States. She was invited to do three presentations to students and staff based on her research paper on Women in Precarious Employment in South Africa’s Economy which provides evidence for complex reciprocity practices in informal economic activity and self-employment.

The study follows the lives of 16 single mothers as they discuss the difficulties they face while working in the second economy. It contends that these types of informal subsistence activities are economically important and secondary, supplementing the first economy in a variety of ways. The paper aims to add to discussions on gender and economic development by urging policymakers to assist the livelihood plans of women living on the periphery of the first economy. You can download the three presentations here:

  1. Prof Raniga delivered the keynote address at the Pinderhughes Diversity Lecture at the Boston College School of Social Work. Her presentation was titled Developmental Social Welfare and Sustainable Livelihoods: Lessons from South African Innovations. You can read more about her address here.
  2. At Simmons University in Boston she delivered a presentation titled Women’s Role in the Economy.
  3. Prof Raniga also delivered a presentation titled Social Protection Policy and Poverty Experiences of Women in South Africa: Lessons from an NGO Facilitating Entrepreneurship at Touro College: School of Social Work in New York.

Prof Raniga also visited Columbia University: School of Social Work where she had a productive meeting with Dr Mashkura Akilova who is a lecturer in the Discipline of Social Work. Dr Akilova shares social policy teaching interests with Prof Raniga and research interests with migrants living in SA and the US.

“We discussed the possibility of forming a research partnership and MA/PhD student/teacher exchange partnership between UJ and Columbia University. These discussions are ongoing, and I am confident that we will have an MoU between the two universities signed soon” said Prof Raniga