Title
The Majority Legal Status Of Women In Southern Africa: Implications For Women And Families
Keywords
African families; African women; Legal rights; Poverty
Abstract
Women in many countries of southern Africa do not have majority status or have only recently gained this right. Majority status grants individuals adult legal status and the right to bring matters to court, own and administer property, have legal custody of children, and contract for marriage. This article summarizes the legal status of women in Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Lack of majority status contributes to the ongoing risk of poverty for women and makes them overly dependent on men. Compounding the situation in these countries is the presence of a dual legal system. Improving the situation of women and their families involves targeting changes in the legal system, influencing implementation of laws, educating women about their rights, and giving women needed support to seek their legal rights. The legal status of women must be viewed in the context of historical changes in the economic, educational, political, and cultural developments of society. © 1996 Human Sciences Press, Inc.
Publication Date
1-1-1996
Publication Title
Journal of Family and Economic Issues
Volume
17
Issue
2
Number of Pages
173-188
Document Type
Article
Personal Identifier
scopus
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02267045
Copyright Status
Unknown
Socpus ID
0030156022 (Scopus)
Source API URL
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/0030156022
STARS Citation
Van Hook, Mary P. and Ngwenya, Barbara N., "The Majority Legal Status Of Women In Southern Africa: Implications For Women And Families" (1996). Scopus Export 1990s. 2322.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus1990/2322