Abstract: Similar to other regions, the proportion of women working in the formal sector in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased in recent years but their share of household and family responsibilities have not changed when compared to their male counterparts who are employed. Most of the time, women are the ones who undertake household work and other family responsibilities such as parenting, but their hectic work is often un-recognised, under-valued and uncompensated. Combining employment with family responsibilities is quite demanding on women’s time, energy, resources and health. Women’s ability to balance the demands of work and family would go a long way in improving their quality of life. Guided by social learning theory and rational choice theory, the paper discusses the women’s experiences with work demands, family responsibilities, challenges and their efforts to balance work and family responsibilities in the context of Botswana. The article emphasises among other things the need to provide gender responsive labour market policies that will recognise women’s multiple roles and create a conducive environment that will recognise their contributions in both the paid work and their unpaid work at family and community levels.
Keywords: family responsibilities, women working, Women’s ability, contributions.
Title: Women balancing work and family responsibilities in Botswana: Challenges and the way forward
Author: P. N. Ntshwarang, T. Maundeni, D. Kgwatalala, N. M. Seboni
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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