Determination of factors contributing towards women's unemployment in the Capricorn and Sekhukhune districts in the Limpopo Province

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the factors contributing towards the unemployment of women in the Sekhukhune and Capricorn Districts in the Limpopo Province. Limpopo has the highest proportion of rural dwellers in South Africa, hence it is expected that economic conditions in the province are inferior to the national average; with the consequence of high unemployment rate. Sekhukhune is rural while Capricorn is urban, so the study is considered as a comparison of rural-urban structures. Specifically, the study focused on women aged between 20-54 years. Using proportional allocation, about 2 600 women from Capricorn district and 2 000 women from Sekhukhune district were interviewed. Primary data was used and direct interviews were conducted. Multivariate statistica! analyses, including hierarchical loglinear, generalised linear models and multiple logistic regressions, were used to determine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. The factors that were most predictive are: district, age, education level, and marital status. The least predictive factors were family background and the number of children a woman has. Key findings of this research could shed light on how to deal with the factors that contribute to women unemployment, how to achieve equal employment opportunities and also remove the obstacles and barriers to women's participation in the workplace.