During national women’s month in August 2023, TrendER/infoQuest, an online South African research supplier, conducted a survey amongst South African women to assess various pertinent issues in their daily lives.
These included women’s roles in household decision making, their main concerns regarding their children, and the incidence of single moms and the financial contributions they receive from the fathers of their children. The research was conducted at the beginning of August 2023 and 300 women were interviewed.
Household decision-making
While most important decisions in the household are made jointly with partners/spouses, it is interesting to note that women are more likely to have more say in these decisions than their partners/spouses.
Main concerns about children
Mothers are mainly concerned about being able to give their children a good education, while the mental health of their children is the next main concern. Children’s physical safety, their nutrition/eating well and their online safety are also in the top five concerns of mothers.
Single moms and incidence of fathers contributing financially towards children
42% of mothers in the sample were single moms. Just over half of single moms (51%) claim that the fathers of their children never contribute, or contribute very seldom towards their children’s expenses. Only 31% of fathers contribute very regularly/every month.
One in three women have been financially scammed
With the ever-increasing risk of being scammed, one in three women claim to have been financially scammed in the past year. This is a significant proportion. Approximately one in four women have experienced mental/emotional abuse over the past year. When it come to emotional or physical abuse, reported statistics may be under claimed due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“As in the workplace, the power of women in the household is evident,” says Mogorosi Mashilo, MD of TrendER/infoQuest.
“The importance of shared responsibilities in the household can only lead to more equitable partnerships. It is not surprising that their children’s education is the main priority for mothers given our education challenges in South Africa, but what is interesting is the issue of mental health of children. This is indicative of the emotional loads that our children are taking on and are exposed to and the need for mental health,” adds Mashilo.
“When it comes to single moms, there is an urgent need for fathers to step up and play an important role in their children’s lives, both financially and emotionally, which is important for the next generation who need responsible mentors.”
