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Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa
The rising number of individuals identifying as child-free has sparked a growing interest in understanding this demographic's unique challenges and opportunities. Despite progress in South Africa's equality legislation, child-free black women remain marginalised, frequently confronting stereotypes a...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Organisational Psychology
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613222168690688 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Acheampong, Nadine Borkor |
| author2 | Farista, Feranaaz |
| author_browse | Acheampong, Nadine Borkor Farista, Feranaaz |
| author_facet | Farista, Feranaaz Acheampong, Nadine Borkor |
| author_sort | Acheampong, Nadine Borkor |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | The rising number of individuals identifying as child-free has sparked a growing interest in understanding this demographic's unique challenges and opportunities. Despite progress in South Africa's equality legislation, child-free black women remain marginalised, frequently confronting stereotypes and assumptions that challenge both their personal and professional identities. This study explores these specific dynamics through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 child-free black women in South Africa, exploring how ‘race', ‘gender', and ‘child-free' status intersect to shape their workplace experiences. All women were formally employed and resided in South Africa, identifying as black, and between the ages of 24 – 38, with at least two years of full-time working experience. Through an intersectional lens and the application of role theory, this paper provides a nuanced perspective on how child-free individuals navigate and negotiate their roles and identities. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the data, delving into participant's insights and perspectives to gain a thorough understanding of their lived realities. The study's findings revealed the opportunities and challenges faced by child-free black women in their workplace. Three key themes emerged that reflected child-free black women's lived experiences in the South African workplace: (1) The availability paradox: navigating time and identity in child-free lives, (2) Redefining family at work: child-free identities within organisational norms, (3) Unseen needs: fostering inclusive spaces for child-free workers. Through these findings, recommendations for improving workplace support for child-free black women are presented. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42151 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:32:42.829Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Organisational Psychology |
| publisherStr | Organisational Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42151 Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa Acheampong, Nadine Borkor Farista, Feranaaz Voluntary child-free child-freeness in the workplace intersectionality role theory workplace inclusivity South Africa and global South The rising number of individuals identifying as child-free has sparked a growing interest in understanding this demographic's unique challenges and opportunities. Despite progress in South Africa's equality legislation, child-free black women remain marginalised, frequently confronting stereotypes and assumptions that challenge both their personal and professional identities. This study explores these specific dynamics through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 22 child-free black women in South Africa, exploring how ‘race', ‘gender', and ‘child-free' status intersect to shape their workplace experiences. All women were formally employed and resided in South Africa, identifying as black, and between the ages of 24 – 38, with at least two years of full-time working experience. Through an intersectional lens and the application of role theory, this paper provides a nuanced perspective on how child-free individuals navigate and negotiate their roles and identities. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the data, delving into participant's insights and perspectives to gain a thorough understanding of their lived realities. The study's findings revealed the opportunities and challenges faced by child-free black women in their workplace. Three key themes emerged that reflected child-free black women's lived experiences in the South African workplace: (1) The availability paradox: navigating time and identity in child-free lives, (2) Redefining family at work: child-free identities within organisational norms, (3) Unseen needs: fostering inclusive spaces for child-free workers. Through these findings, recommendations for improving workplace support for child-free black women are presented. 2025-11-07T12:21:34Z 2025-11-07T12:21:34Z 2025 2025-11-07T12:15:40Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42151 en eng application/pdf Organisational Psychology Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Voluntary child-free child-freeness in the workplace intersectionality role theory workplace inclusivity South Africa and global South Acheampong, Nadine Borkor Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| title_full | Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| title_short | Voices from the margins: amplifying the workplace realities of black child-free women in South Africa |
| title_sort | voices from the margins amplifying the workplace realities of black child free women in south africa |
| topic | Voluntary child-free child-freeness in the workplace intersectionality role theory workplace inclusivity South Africa and global South |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42151 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT acheampongnadineborkor voicesfromthemarginsamplifyingtheworkplacerealitiesofblackchildfreewomeninsouthafrica |