Changing gender roles in the household: a case study of Lamontville in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Gender roles are expectations that individuals, groups, and societies have of people based on
their sex. These expectations are also based on each society's values and beliefs. Society is
constructed in a way that traditional and cultural norms shape gender roles in societies, and
these are expressed in households where men and women are not given equal roles. The
overall aim of the study was to investigate the construction of gender roles and the factors
that lead to gender inequality within households in townships, specifically in Lamontville in
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The qualitative data used in this study was collected from indepth
interviews with twenty men and women in Lamontville township, in the south of
Durban. The findings of this study showed that women tend to be side-lined when it comes to
decision making in the household. Participants noted that inequalities are deeply rooted after
marriage and women are denied the opportunity of pursuing their studies to empower
themselves. In addition, this tends to result in unequal power relations and gender inequities
that originate from male domination and socio-cultural structures in the society. As much as
there are minor improvements in gender relations in some parts of South Africa, women are
still disproportionately burdened by the realities of gender inequality, gender stereotypes and
structural violence within households. During the interviews, participants also showed that
socio-cultural structures, education, geographical setting, poverty and economic status are
major factors that reinforce the unbalanced gender roles in societies today. Additionally, the
lack of education for some women has led to the exacerbation of gender inequality, as many
households in Lamontville are headed by men. Experiences of gender-based violence and
domestic abuse was also noted by a few female participants but they emphasized that they
would not leave their husbands because they are financially dependent on them for survival
and for those of their children. This study points to the importance of ensuring that the safety
of women in households is maintained by promoting greater equality.
Description
Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.