Children’s Experiences of Support Received from Men in Rural KwaZulu-Natal

Studies of fathers’ involvement in their children’s are usually based on men’s self-reports, women’s appraisals or children’s accounts of men’s involvement. This paper explores men’s support of children aged 9-10 years living in rural KwaZulu-Natal, as reported by children, women and men. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty focal children, twenty female caregivers and sixteen fathers/father-figures nominated by the children in twenty randomly selected households. We find that men are important in children’s lives. The nomination of a father-figure by all children, even if the man was not their biological father, ascertained that all children receive some support from men. Our data highlight the influence of biological ties, co-residence, family social network, and marriage or father-mother relationship on fathers’ involvement with their children – financial and the quality of their interaction. This study improves methodologies and addresses the validity, reliability and interrelations of children, men and women’s reports of men’s involvement in providing support to children in a South African context. We were able to determine the informal, local systems of family support and the variety of contributions made by men in supporting children. In this way, the study provides a basis for research on local father involvement and for future comparison.Key Words: Father’s involvement in childcare; social fatherhood; co-resident fatherhoo

“Without a mother”: caregivers and community members’ views about the impacts of maternal mortality on families in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality in South Africa is high and a cause for concern especially because the bulk of deaths from maternal causes are preventable. One of the proposed reasons for persistently high maternal mortality is HIV which causes death both indirectly and directly. While there is some evidence for the impact of maternal death on children and families in South Africa, few studies have explored the impacts of maternal mortality on the well-being of the surviving infants, older children and family. This study provides qualitative insight into the consequences of maternal mortality for child and family well-being throughout the life-course. METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted in rural and peri-urban communities in Vulindlela, KwaZulu-Natal. The sample included 22 families directly affected by maternal mortality, 15 community stakeholders and 7 community focus group discussions. These provided unique and diverse perspectives about the causes, experiences and impacts of maternal mortality. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Children left behind were primarily cared for by female family members, even where a father was alive and involved. The financial burden for care and children’s basic needs were largely met through government grants (direct and indirectly targeted at children) and/or through an obligation for the father or his family to assist. The repercussions of losing a mother were felt more by older children for whom it was harder for caregivers to provide educational supervision and emotional or psychological support. Respondents expressed concerns about adolescent’s educational attainment, general behaviour and particularly girl’s sexual risk. CONCLUSION: These results illuminate the high costs to surviving children and their families of failing to reduce maternal mortality in South Africa. Ensuring social protection and community support is important for remaining children and families. Additional qualitative evidence is needed to explore differential effects for children by gender and to guide future research and inform policies and programs aimed at supporting maternal orphans and other vulnerable children throughout their development.Web of Scienc

Gatekeeping and its impact on father involvement among black South Africans in rural KwaZulu-Natal

Involved and caring fatherhood contributes to the health and wellbeing of children, women and men. The corollary is also true - men, women and children are affected when fathers are not involved or supportive of their children. Many factors affect fathers' involvement, including women's attitudes, the history and nature of the relationship between mother and father, and the cultural context. This study explores gatekeeping and its impact on father involvement among Black South Africans in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Among married couples, gatekeeping occurs with respect to childcare and housework through women's attempts to validate their maternal identity according to socially and culturally constructed gender roles. Among unmarried, non-resident parents, women control father-child contact and involvement, with mothers and/or their families either facilitating or inhibiting father involvement. In this context, we found that cultural gatekeeping had a huge impact on father involvement, with the non-payment of inhlawulo or lobola regulating father-child involvement. In a country like South Africa, where there is high non-marital fertility and father-child nonresidence, future research, parenting and family programmes should focus on strategies that encourage positive paternal involvement as well as maternal and cultural support for father involvement, regardless of parental relationship and residence status.

HIV risk behaviour among orphaned and non-orphaned female and male youths in South Africa

This paper explored HIV risk behaviour among orphaned and non-orphaned youth in South Africa using cross-sectional population-based household survey data from persons aged 18 to 24 years in four South African provinces assessing orphan status, self-esteem, sexual activities, socioeconomic factors, and HIV status and risk. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare HIV risk behaviours of orphans and non-orphans. Maternal male orphans were more likely to have an earlier sexual debut, more likely to have had more than two sexual partners in the past 12 months and were more likely to be HIV positive compared to their non-orphaned male peers. Among female youth orphan status was not found to be associated with HIV risk behaviour. Interventions aimed at preventing HIV risk behaviours among orphans should be aimed at providing psychosocial and economic support for orphans at high risk regardless whether they are maternal, paternal or double orphans.

The role of black fathers in the lives of children in South Africa

This article outlines what is known about fathers and fatherhood in South Africa, future research directions, and policy and program suggestions to promote the involvement of fathers in their children's lives. We argue that the role of Black fathers in children's lives is and has always been important, but also acknowledge that children, women, and men could benefit from greater paternal involvement in children's lives.

The status of fatherhood and fathering in South Africa

Having an involved father at home can make a big difference in the life of a young child. For one thing, the household with a father in residence is likely to be better off, the mother is likely to feel affirmed and assisted in her role, and children's nutrition, health care, and schooling are likely to be encouraged and supported. Children will enjoy a father's protection and will benefit from his position in the community. Most of all they will have the pleasure of receiving and giving love in what is an archetypal relationship - father and child - throughout the world. Acknowledged biological fatherhood is, moreover, an important element of identity development. In South Africa, children also take their clan name from their father. In times past, children were humiliated for being fatherless. Today, being considered fatherless generates in children as sense of loss and confusion.

Is it lawful to offer HIV self-testing to children in South Africa?

Health-facility-based HIV counselling and testing does not capture all children and adolescents who are at risk of HIV infection. Self-testing involves conducting an HIV test at home or in any other convenient space without the involvement of a third party. It is increasingly being argued that it should be incorporated into national HIV-prevention programmes as one of a range of HIV counselling and testing approaches. Although this model of HIV testing is being seen as a new way of reaching under-tested populations, no studies have been conducted on offering it to children. HIV self-tests are now available in South Africa and are sold without the purchaser having to be a certain age. Nevertheless, all HIV testing in children must comply with the norms set out in the Children's Act (2005). Here we explore whether offering self-testing to children would be lawful, by outlining the four legal norms that must be met and applying them to self-HIV testing. We conclude that, although children above the age of 12 years could consent to such a test, there would be two potential obstacles. Firstly, it would have to be shown that using the test is in their best interests. This may be difficult given the potential negative consequences that could flow from testing without support and the availability of other testing services. Secondly, there would need to be a way for children to access pre- and post-test counselling or they would have to be advised that they will have expressly to waive this right. The tests are more likely to be lawful for a small sub-set of older children if: (i) it assists them with HIV-prevention strategies; (ii) they will be able to access treatment, care and support, even though they have tested outside of a health facility; and (iii) psychosocial support services are made available to them via the internet or cell phones.

Children's experiences of support received from men in rural KwaZulu-Natal

Studies of fathers' involvement in their children's are usually based on men's self-reports, women's appraisals or children's accounts of men's involvement. This paper explores men's support of children aged 9-10 years living in rural KwaZulu-Natal, as reported by children, women and men. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty focal children, twenty female caregivers and sixteen fathers/father-figures nominated by the children in twenty randomly selected households. We find that men are important in children's lives. The nomination of a father-figure by all children, even if the man was not their biological father, ascertained that all children receive some support from men. Our data highlight the influence of biological ties, co-residence, family social network, and marriage or father-mother relationship on fathers' involvement with their children financial and the quality of their interaction. This study improves methodologies and addresses the validity, reliability and interrelations of children, men and women's reports of men's involvement in providing support to children in a South African context. We were able to determine the informal, local systems of family support and the variety of contributions made by men in supporting children. In this way, the study provides a basis for research on local father involvement and for future comparison.