www.inet.co.za - 3/6/2009 7:09 AM
Most SA women 'financially independent'
Nearly seventy percent of South African woman consider themselves financially independent, results of a global survey have found.

By Mirah Langer

Nearly seventy percent of South African woman consider themselves financially independent, results of a Synovate global survey released on Thursday found.

"South African women emerged as one of the most emphatically independent, (69 percent), together with French women (80 percent) and British women (76 percent) who consider themselves financially autonomous," said the survey company in a statement.

Woman in Bulgaria were the least confident in their financial independence, 37 percent, followed by Indonesia at 47 percent.

The survey looked at what role women play in household finances and whether they feel in control of their own cash.

The survey also looked at attitudes of whether woman are better with money than men.

About 4 500 women from 12 countries including Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, France, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (US) took part in the survey.

For some questions about 4 500 men were also interviewed.

Overall, when it came to South Africa, the survey found that our relatively new democracy, was filled with self-sufficient woman.

"Seven in ten women said they were financially independent, even more than in the majority of the developed markets that were surveyed."

Synovate South Africa's director for financial services, Debbie Amm, said: "This is partly because the women we spoke with were largely urban, but there are greater cultural and historical explanations at hand too.

"Since South Africa became a democracy there has been a very strong and very public focus on gender equality, providing opportunities for women to advance careers or simply to start one.

"Equally, in both black and white histories, there has always been a need for women to be able to look after themselves and their families. South Africa can be a tough place, so this need for self-sufficiency has given rise to a highly entrepreneurial mindset among the women of the nation," she said.

Most South African woman, 43 percent, defined financial independence as not being dependent on their husbands or partners for money.

Nevertheless, 62 percent of South African men and 56 percent of South African woman agreed that men should be responsible for household payments and mortgages.

"In South Africa 56 percent of men believe that it is their responsibility to look after the family, whereas a lower 41 percent of women agree."

Nearly three quarters of South African woman believe making their own budget will contribute to financial independence, while 61 percent believe that this will come from setting financial goals for themselves.

Also, in South Africa, 73 percent of woman believed that women spend more money than men and 71 percent of South African men surveyed agreed with the women about this.

The global average was 47 percent of women and 56 percent of men, who answered this question in the same way.

Ninety five percent of South African woman said they believed it was important to know about products and services offered by banks and insurance companies.

This was the highest percentage globally, followed by the US and Canada at 91 percent.

When it came to credit card use, 40 percent of South African woman used monthly income to pay off credit card bills, while 82 percent agreed that having more than one card could lead to serious debt.

Synovate's senior vice president of financial services in the US, Claire Braverman said the topic of women and their finances was ripe to be researched.

"A woman meets a man, falls in love, moves in, gets married, has kids (not necessarily in that order) and it all falls apart. It's not until this moment that she realises just how dependent she is on her partner's money.

"Some women have checks in place to guard against this happening to them; some don't. Some are financially savvy, and some are simply not interested.

"And even if a relationship break up is not a catalyst, women live longer than men and typically have less money upon retirement.

"All this adds up to an urgent need for financial services companies to understand women and cater to their specific needs and the situations in which they are likely to find themselves, planned or unplanned," she said.

Braverman also said that it was not that long ago that there had been a mass entry of woman into the work force.

To varying degrees, gender equality remained an issue around the world.

"Yet the survey found that nearly six in ten women across 12 diverse countries believe themselves to be financially independent. That's certainly encouraging".

RSA, you have deep rooted issues? Whats our business with all the otiose information you post all over the place?

*corrected*

spikedcylinder:

RSA, you have deep rooted information? Whats our business with all the otiose information you post all over the place?

The buffon is lonely cause he can't find a forum of his peers to discuss such matters.

SAD!

RSA:

www.inet.co.za - 3/6/2009 7:09 AM
Most SA women 'financially independent'
Nearly seventy percent of South African woman consider themselves financially independent, results of a global survey have found.

You know what I like most about this statement?
It does not mean they are. . . it means they consider themselves. Get over it RSA. We know you love your people a whole lot

Nearly seventy percent of South African woman[b] consider themselves[/b] financially independent, results of a global survey have found.

If I consider myself a $ billionaire, that wouldn't make me one, will it?. It's the failure of the marriage institution, single motherhood prevalent among them that made their women poised to fend for themselves even if it means stripping for men. Financial independence does not mean they live better than Nigerian women. Are south african women more educated than Nigerian women?

Aloy.Emeka:

Are south african women more educated than Nigerian women?

With that question, you have started WW3.

spikedcylinder:

RSA, you have deep rooted issues? Whats our business with all the otiose information you post all over the place?

Have you been to a SA forum? The black SAs are pathetic. The whites steamroll over them and their daft opinions which is why they have to file for asylum on boards of other countries.

It's pathetic just like RSA and the rest of his goons

Moonstone:

With that question, you have started WW3.

Yes oh! You are risking the lives of our brothers in SA oh.

Brothers and sisters why are you trying to murder RSA like this. Is that now we think we are better than south africans? we all know that south africans have better lives than us , otherwise why are our brothers and sisters hustling so much to get to that country? RSA thank you very much for the thread and don't mind these jeolous people who do not want to admit the obvious.

morpheus24:

Yes oh! You are risking the lives of our brothers in SA oh.

What are you saying? risking how? don't you know that SA does not have xhenophobic attacks anymore? Guys why must stupidity always seem to be norm in this forum?

@ijeoma what exactly are you saying? The truth is, SA women cannot be more financially independent that naija women for several reasons.

First, SA is a welfare state. Which means they give unemployment benefits and other handouts. This, we know, kills inovation and strong enterprenueral spirit. No wonder they have a very small informal sector. Now compare that to Naija where an overwhelming majority of the people are in the informal sector and majority of these people in the informal sector are women! Make no mistake; that she is selling peper or akara should not make you think she is getting nothing from her business. You need to check her out when she is going to church or any social gathering. You will mistake her for an elite.

And no! Her husband did not get her her attire. She also gives money for food to her children every morning to take to school. She does other miscellanious spendings in the house so that in the end, her contribution to the welfare of her matrimonial home almost equals that of her husband

Ijeoma Okeke100: Brothers and sisters why are you trying to murder RSA like this. Is that now we think we are better than south africans? we all know that south africans have better lives than us , otherwise why are our brothers and sisters hustling so much to get to that country? RSA thank you very much for the thread and don't mind these jeolous people who do not want to admit the obvious.

nigerians would go anywhere on earth. Even to countries where things are unbelievablly difficult. Nigerians will hustle and go to malawi, niger, senegal where many of them would become prisoners of course, you also find them in chad, CAR and even vietnam. Tell me if these countries are better than Nigeria.

Actually, the report appears to be in order. I spent over two years in South Africa and the women there do have this mentality of being financially isolated and independent from their partner/husband. Unfortunately, this mentality, in my humble opinion may work against against the nation in the long run. This mentality is one of the remote causes of single parenthood, domestic violence and almost total absence of family life among the black populace. I speak with respect to the black Saffers; the South African Indians and Whites seem to have a much more stable family life (and less domestic violence) than their black counterparts. The truth is that whenever I think about South Africa, I see a troubled nation ahead, unless the black Saffers get their acts together and entrench family values in all its totality. I think this topic should be moved to the family section, and perhaps, the front page.

Tony Spike: Actually, the report appears to be in order. I spent over two years in South Africa and the women there do have this mentality of being financially isolated and independent from their partner/husband. Unfortunately, this mentality, in my humble opinion may work against against the nation in the long run. This mentality is one of the remote causes of single parenthood, domestic violence and almost total absence of family life among the black populace. I speak with respect to the black Saffers; the South African Indians and Whites seem to have a much more stable family life (and less domestic violence) than their black counterparts. The truth is that whenever I think about South Africa, I see a troubled nation ahead, unless the black Saffers get their acts together and entrench family values in all totality. I think this topic should be moved to the family section, and perhaps, the front page.

I concur, a recent survey even showed an increase in the percentage of teenagers living without both parents in SA.

souldust: @ijeoma what exactly are you saying? The truth is, SA women cannot be more financially independent that naija women for several reasons.

First, SA is a welfare state. Which means they give unemployment benefits and other handouts. This, we know, kills inovation and strong enterprenueral spirit. No wonder they have a very small informal sector. Now compare that to Naija where an overwhelming majority of the people are in the informal sector and majority of these people in the informal sector are women! Make no mistake; that she is selling peper or akara should not make you think she is getting nothing from her business. You need to check her out when she is going to church or any social gathering. You will mistake her for an elite.

And no! Her husband did not get her her attire. She also gives money for food to her children every morning to take to school. She does other miscellanious spendings in the house so that in the end, her contribution to the welfare of her matrimonial home almost equals that of her husband

Did you bother to check how much money is given through welfare and who can get it. Not every one qulfies for welfare.


That not independent. That just providing a boost to the mans income.

sheyie2007:
I concur, a recent survey even showed an increase in the percentage of teenagers living without both parents in SA.

And what wrong with bieing raised by singel parent.

andrewza:

And what wrong with bieing raised by singel parent.

I advice you do your research on this topic. Single parenthood itself isn't bad, unless it is linked to indiscriminate, reckless and uncontrolled sexual behaviour as it is in the case of many black South Africans. Most of the single parents among the blacks had their their first child as early as 16/17 yrs old which is an indictment on the societal values. I know this happens in many parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province. If single parenthood is as a result of an act of God such death, or even divorce, it is still tolerable. In South Africa, many became single parents as a result of reckless sexual life.

Tony Spike:

I advice you do your research on this topic. Single parenthood itself isn't bad, unless it is linked to indiscriminate, reckless and uncontrolled sexual behaviour as it is in the case of many black South Africans. Most of the single parents among the blacks had their their first child as early as 16/17 yrs old which is an indictment on the societal values. I know this happens in many parts of the KwaZulu-Natal province. If single parenthood is as a result of an act of God such death, or even divorce, it is still tolerable. In South Africa, many became single parents as a result of reckless sexual life.

The resoan I ask is because I was raised in a singel parent house hold by my mother. We all so grew up poor and my mother was a pregnant at 18.

andrewza:



The resoan I ask is because I was raised in a singel parent house hold by my mother. We all so grew up poor and my mother was a pregnant at 18.

There is nothing wrong with being raised by a single parent, however it is evidently much better to be raised in a family that includes a mother and a father. Two heads always better than one in a nuclear family situation.

Nigerian culture is trying its best not to condone or accept the likely hood of a child being raised by one parent (mother) and understand the implications of changing that culture for the so called "equality" gibberish western socieites have traded in for. You break the family unit you pay dearly as society will definitely suffer the consequences no matter how much you try to patc the system by creating new laws such as child support, welfare or increasing jobs and pay for women. You cannot fool nature.

For everyting you give up in a society you get something else and vice versa, it just depends on what you are willing to give up. South Africa is heavily influenced by western cultures that condones single family parents, what's worse still is that most of the single mothers now pass on this responsibily to grand mothers while the young girls leave for the city, When they find city life hard, they are unable to send support back to the townships and in turn grandmothers are burden with raising children with inadequate support. Those children will likely grow up semi- educated with a sense of entitilement because society did them wrong right from the start, and when they see how tough it is out there, they become resentful and take out their frustrations on society itself i.e criminality, rape, theft, don' care attitude.

So is it better to be in a famly where let's say the father is a drunk wife beater. Or just by one mother.

morpheus24:
There is nothing wrong with being raised by a single parent, however it is evidently much better to be raised in a family that includes a mother and a father. Two heads always better than one in a nuclear family situation.

Nigerian culture is trying its best not to condone or accept the likely hood of a child being raised by one parent (mother) and understand the implications of changing that culture for the so called "equality" gibberish western socieites have traded in for. You break the family unit you pay dearly as society will definitely suffer the consequences no matter how much you try to patc the system by creating new laws such as child support, welfare or increasing jobs and pay for women. You cannot fool nature.

For everyting you give up in a society you get something else and vice versa, it just depends on what you are willing to give up. South Africa is heavily influenced by western cultures that condones single family parents, what's worse still is that most of the single mothers now pass on this responsibily to grand mothers while the young girls leave for the city, When they find city life hard, they are unable to send support back to the townships and in turn grandmothers are burden with raising children with inadequate support. Those children will likely grow up semi- educated with a sense of entitilement because society did them wrong right from the start, and when they see how tough it is out there, they become resentful and take out their frustrations on society itself i.e criminality, rape, theft, don' care attitude.

The bolded is the exact picture in South Africa at the moment. The surprising thing that that their mothers/grandmothers support them (the teenage girls) in this unholy practice. It's a sad situation and it's only a matter of time before the chicken comes to roost...

andrewza: So is it better to be in a famly where let's say the father is a drunk wife beater. Or just by one mother.

Never implied that at all. Those are circumstances that are exceptions to the rule. These things happen in Nigeria as well and what society does is create an extended family unit to protect the child especiall. The communal nature of the African society does not allow the child to go without a father figure in extension of uncles, grand father, older cousins and the like.

Western society puts much emphasis on the individual which is why women feel isolated in such instances and seek systems or structures that will protect them in such instances, i.e agencies for battered women and the likes and children are funneled through a child protection system.

Again for everyting you give up in society, you get something else and vice versa.

I applaud them.

andrewza:



The resoan I ask is because I was raised in a singel parent house hold by my mother. We all so grew up poor and my mother was a pregnant at 18.

In apartheid south africa Why am I finding it difficult to believe you, considering the fact that you are a white south african.

Henry120:

In apartheid south africa Why am I finding it difficult to believe you, considering the fact that you are a white south african.

Poor is a reltive term. My mother rent a flat in a poor area with a flatmate. We had 3 meals a day but the did not contain meat. Extra extra.

If you to to europe and find poor people there. They better of than a middel class nigerian. So poor is reltive.

Why should a report like this that actually shows some good positive news on the continent turn into the usual Naija vs SA bashing sessions.

Is it not good that patriarchal societal norms are slowly changing on the continent, eventhough its a result of some positive and negative social changes in society. Why are we man who comment on this topic so against woman attaining equality in society.

If woman are gaining more independence from there male counterpart how does this have a baring on a countries future, because woman since the beginning of time was the ones who were independent and taking care of children anyway.

I really think some males on this thread should get there heads out of there behind look across the horizon for a change.

snydergp: Why should a report like this that actually shows some good positive news on the continent turn into the usual Naija vs SA bashing sessions.

Is it not good that patriarchal societal norms are slowly changing on the continent, eventhough its a result of some positive and negative social changes in society. Why are we man who comment on this topic so against woman attaining equality in society.

If woman are gaining more independence from there male counterpart how does this have a baring on a countries future, because woman since the beginning of time was the ones who were independent and taking care of children anyway.

I really think some males on this thread should get there heads out of there behind look across the horizon for a change.

Because nigerians can't help them selfs. They be jelouses.

You guys can dig hey? I posted this topic 4 years ago. Yes I can attest to the fact that black South Africans have lost some of their African beliefs and culture and this is due to apartheid which divided families, black fathers were working in mines and staying in males only hostels while mothers worked as domestic workers for whites and only allowed to visit their family couple of times in a year.
So the current generation is only continuing this trends and with gender equality drives by the government and other organisations this makes other woman to belief that they could do it on their own and just use men only as sperm donors.
As they say here in South Africa woman have the right to have their family with or without a husbands.