Women's experiences as learners in an adult basic education and training programme.

In a country, which has recently acquired its democracy, education for all citizens is of primary concern. During this time when South Africa finds its self in a period of transition and of prioritising items on its agenda, education in general and in particular education of those who had a little or no education at all, is high on the priority list. Women in the past have been discriminated against and thus deprived of equal access to educational experiences and the accumulation of skills and qualifications – aspects that affected their daily lives. Therefore, many women have not had opportunities for personal development, choice of work and the capacity to influence political decisions. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences that women learners encountered within an ABET programme. Due to the limited research done on women's learning within ABET programmes in South Africa, women learners have been isolated and marginalised in all levels of education. Despite this, women, who head up a third of the world’s households, are not often identified as vital role players for the sustainability of communities especially in relation to issues concerning health, social welfare and economic activities. In order to obtain a greater understanding of the experiences of women learners within ABET programmes, this study was designed to elicit the views of women in an ABET programme. Qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were utilised in this process and I used the constant comparative method of data analysis to search for recurring themes and patterns The most prominent findings emerging from the study was that women felt advantaged as members of a community of learners. It was also evident that numerous factors restricted effective learning for women. In addition, academic progress and self-confidence that would serve as a foundation for future learning also emerged as an important finding. This study has shown that although ABET programmes such as the one in which this research took place, are vital and fulfil a very real need especially for women, there are a number of factors in the programmes themselves and within society in general which hampers optimal learning by women in the programme.Mrs. N. F. Peterse