SA women feel like an afterthought in the services meant to serve them
The findings were based on responses from more than 6 000 South African women.
A recent study by First for Women reveals that South African women often feel sidelined in the very services designed for them. The report, titled "A World Built for Someone Else," surveyed over 6,000 women and found that 38% believe government services treat them as an afterthought, with banking and healthcare not far behind at 35.6% each.
Rather than waiting for improvements, 56.4% switch providers or find alternatives, while 33.1% manage the issues on their own. Single parents are especially affected, as switching providers requires time and flexibility many lack. Despite feeling most seen at local hairdressers and neighborhood shops, women overwhelmingly prefer these places over call centers or banks.
Safety concerns are widespread, with 90.1% of respondents never or rarely feeling safe walking alone at night. Safety concerns cost women financially, with 79.5% saying they've incurred costs due to safety concerns, and higher earners spending more on safety measures. Money is the biggest source of stress for South African women, with 32.8% often running short before the month ends and 47.9% borrowing from family or friends.
Single parents bear a disproportionate financial burden. Despite the presence of a partner, 75.8% of women still handle cooking, cleaning, and laundry mostly alone, and 69.2% do the same for laundry. The report argues that products and policies built on the assumption of an equally sharing partner are ineffective for the majority of women, especially single mothers.
Additionally, 36.0% of women spend at least five hours daily on unpaid domestic and care work, which remains unrecognized by both government and businesses.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
