A Critical Feminist Examination of Women's Empowerment in the Ghanaian and U.S. Dominant Spaces

This thesis aims to explore societal challenges encountered by vulnerable and underrepresented women within different geographical locations in a two-fold study. First, we (Abakah & Heuman) critically analyze a non-governmental organization's efforts towards sexual and intimate partner violence in Ghana and second, through an autoethnographic inquiry into my (Abakah) societal positioning in the U.S. as a Black Ghanaian woman and international student, I self-reflexively analyze my lived experience in the U.S. diaspora. The first paper focuses on identifying existing strategies and challenges used by NGOs in reaching out to sexually violated women and proposes new or alternative communication strategies to address intimate partner violence. With a combination of in-depth interviews, existing interviews, and website data, the researcher triangulates the study's data to broaden our understanding of the work performed within a specific NGO and the communication strategies that they utilize as they navigate challenges and work to improve the lives of targets of intimate partner violence. The second paper employs a layered narrative account to illuminate how I was interpellated into the socio-cultural and political landscape within the U.S., placing me at a low level of the U.S. social ladder.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication Studies

Grantor

Texas Tech University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Abakah, Winifred Sekyibea

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Heuman, Amy N.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Koerber, Amy
• Bennett-Brown, Margaret
• Adams, Robyn

• non-governmental organization
• strategies
• autoethnography
• intimate partner violence

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2346/100505

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ttu-ir.tdl.org:2346/100505