Since coming to office in 1994, the government of South Africa has made strong, legally binding commitments to uphold and promote gender equality. To reduce poverty and boost gender equality, suggests the report, policy must tackle inequalities such as race, class, location and age, rather than focus on women alone, as a uniform target group. Gender can be viewed as a set of social relations and processes embodied in a variety of institutions, such as families, communities, markets or legal systems, that underpin everyday life.
Gender relations are thus dynamic and context-specific.
In South Africa, historical processes of colonialism, capitalism and apartheid have all left their mark, as have the socio-cultural norms that define gender identities. It also examines how individuals, households, organisations and social movements can change the way in which gender relations are defined and experienced. Rural women in particular have little spare time due to heavy workloads to take advantage of livelihood opportunities. Household arrangements are diverse and complex, and composition varies over time. For example, high rates of female-headed households prevail, particularly amongst black African women.