The Motherload – A call for action for civil society

The Motherload describes the highly gendered, mostly invisible and undervalued work performed by those who undertake mothering, and which hinders their economic security, safety, and wellbeing. In South Africa, this burden is mostly carried by low-income black mothers.

Unlike perspectives from richer-resourced countries, which often focus on personal stress, our concept highlights social and economic factors, and histories of colonialism and apartheid. The legacy of colonialism and apartheid disrupted social ties and established unequal gender roles, which persist.

The Motherload highlights how gender-based pressures in the economy negatively impact care work, often making it undervalued and overlooked. It reveals how inadequate state policies, structural inequalities, and patriarchal norms unfairly concentrate caregiving responsibilities on women, exacerbating their economic and social burdens.

This policy brief emphasises the urgent need to recognise The Motherload. We aim to understand the conditions under which The Motherload occurs, the consequences of ignoring this issue, and the interventions needed to ease the burden.