Gendered intra-household spending among employed parents.

Abstract

Literature shows that women devote a greater percentage of their income to their families than men do, yet men still monopolise the status of providers, and women seem to have played along with this. Co-providing and dual-working has been a common practice among parents, especially within black households. The study used mixed methods, interviews and a questionnaire to determine the gender-differences in household financial contributions or spending among employed couples. The study took place in a government department and a state-owned organisation (parastatal) in the Limpopo Province. Thirty-seven (n=37) mothers and fathers who are employed in managerial positions were selected through snow-ball sampling, a non-probability sampling type. Data shows women's increased contributions to households. In some cases, women contribute more than men, even where men earn more than their wives. Despite the increased contribution of women within these households the status of provider remains predominantly male.