Dr Judith Gomersall

Biography/ Background

Judith Streak (nee Gomersall) studied history and economics at the Univesity of Natal, completed a Masters degree in Economics in 1995  (University of the Witwatersrand South Africa) and  a PhD in Public Management and Development in 2011 (University of Stellenbosch South Africa).  Her doctoral reserach, titled "Child poverty and the perfromance of the child support grant in South Africa" focused on the extent and nature of child poverty in South Africa and the role of income support in addressing it.  Judith taught Economics (undergraduate Micro and Macro and postgraduate Development Economics) in South Africa at Rhodes University and the University of Cape Town.  Jduith worked as Senior Reracher at the Children's Budget Unit, at the Institute of Democracy in South Africa from 2000-2005.  Here she was involved in research, teaching and advocacy aimed at advancing child socioeconomic rights.  Judith then moved to the Human Sciences Research Council where she was a  Senior Research Manager in the Child Youth Family & Social Development Programme (2006-2009). Here her activies centred around designing and implementing research projects on child poverty and social policy for vulnerable children.  Research studies whilst in this position included one on income support for children in Namibia funded by UNICEF, a study on child poverty and work / labour in South Africa funded by the ILO.  Judith is currently employed as a Research Fellow in the Translation Science programme at the Joanna Briggs Institute, University of Adelaide.  Here her responsibilities include: teaching systematic review methods for evaluation of economic evidence relating ot health care interventions, development of materials for the Health Management and Rehabiliation Nodes of JBI Connect+; supervision of higher degree research students; and paritipation in Systematic Review projects.  In addition, participates in this University's School of Economics  Development Economics Course and continues to be involved in reserach projects relating to child poverty in Southern Africa.

Qualifications

BA (Economics & History), Hons (History), Hons (Economics), MCom (Economics) PhD (Public Management and Development)

Teaching Interests

Interested in and currently invovled in teaching: (i) Development Economics; and (ii) Methods for translating evidence on the effectiveness, cost, appropriateness and feasibility of social welfare and health interventions into improved social policy and practice.

Research Interests

Research interests include: (i) Measurement of child poverty and its associated deprivations; (ii) design of strategy to address child poverty with the spotlight on design and implementation of income support measures; (iii) the role of the state in promoting development; (iv) methods for translating evidence on the effectiveness of social interventions targeted at vulnerable individuals into improved social policy and practices.  

Publications

Streak J, Yu D, & Van der Berg S. Measuring child poverty in South Africa: Sensitivity to the choice of Adult Equivalence Scale and an updated profile. Social Indicators Research, 2009; vol.94(2):183-201.

Streak J. The GEAR legacy: Did GEAR fail or move South Africa forward in development? Development Southern Africa. 2004;vol.21(2).

Streak J. The counter-counterrevolution in development theory on the role of the state in development. Development Southern Africa. 1997;vol14(3).

Streak J, & Dinkleman T. The determinants of foreign direct investment and South Africa's Industrial Development Strategy. 1999;no.4.

Streak J. Cocoa production in the Indian Ocean Rim Region. South African Journal of Economic History. 1996;March.

Dawes A, Streak J, Levine S, & Ewing D. Child agricultural work in South Africa: A contested space. In Childhood poverty: Multidiciplinary approaches. Edited by Jo Boyden and Michael Bourdillon. 2012; Studies on Children in Development Series Pulgrave Macmillan.  

Biersteker L, Streak J, & Gwele M. Toward and adequate early childhood development centre subsidy for children under five in South Africa.  In Co-ordinators Notebook of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. 2008;no.30.

Streak J. Claiming resources for socioeconomic rights in South Africa. In Socioeconomic rights in South Africa - A Resource Book, second edition. 2006; Cape Town; University of Western Cape Community Law Centre.

 

 

Entry last updated: Tuesday, 17 Jan 2012