Financing Social Reproduction

This paper examines how low-middle-income, employed black South African women in multigenerational households are key providers and face numerous demands for economic and practical support from a wide range of dependents. It argues that although women’s role in financially supporting families is not a new phenomenon, the co-existence of high levels of care and the changing socio-economic context, including the welfare system, low marriage rates, and higher levels of female employment, has created new conditions for caregiving responsibilities in multigenerational households. The paper fills a theoretical gap in the understanding of the hidden abode of reproduction and the full array of women’s responsibilities in financing household social reproduction.