 Mpondo woman in South Africa | |
| General Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Maternal mortality (per 100,000) | 88,0 (2020) |
| Women in parliament | 41.1% (2013) |
| Women over 25 with secondary education | 72.7% (2012) |
| Women in labour force | 52% (2017)[1] |
| Gender Inequality Index[2] | |
| Value | 0.405 (2021) |
| Rank | 97th out of 191 |
| Global Gender Gap Index[3] | |
| Value | 0.782 (2022) |
| Rank | 20th out of 146 |
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| Women in society |
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It is thought that multiple ethnic groups in South Africa have long-standing beliefs concerning gender roles, and most are based on the premise that women in South Africa are less important, or less deserving of power, than men. Some view African traditional social organizations as male centered and male dominated. One prevailing caricature of Afrikaner religious beliefs includes a strong emphasis on the theoretically biblically based notion that women's contributions to society should normally be approved by, or be on behalf of, men. Claims are even made of modern sexism and Christianity being introduced into South Africa by the ancestors of the Afrikaner diaspora.[4][5][6]
20th century economic and political developments presented South African women with both new obstacles and new opportunities to wield influence. For example, labor force requirements in cities and mining areas have often drawn men away from their homes for months at a time, and, as a result, women have borne many traditionally male responsibilities in the village and home. Women have had to guarantee the day-to-day survival of their families and to carry out financial and legal transactions that otherwise would have been reserved for men.
- ^ "Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) - Data". data.worldbank.org.
- ^ "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORTS. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Global Gender Gap Report 2022" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ Harrison, Phillip (2004). South Africa's Top Sites: Spiritual. New Africa Books. pp. 11–16. ISBN 978-0-86486-564-9.
- ^ Mosimann-Barbier, Marie-Claude (2014). From Béarn to Southern Africa or The Amazing Destiny of Eugène Casalis. Cambridge Scholars. pp. 10–12. ISBN 978-1-4438-6081-9.
- ^ MAGUBANE, ZINE (2003). Bringing the Empire Home: RACE, CLASS, AND GENDER IN BRITAIN AND COLONIAL SOUTH AFRICA. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226501772.