Townships in transition: Women's caring keeps the township together

This article is based on a qualitative community study that explores the everyday life of black South African women living in a township on the outskirts of Cape Town. Through the life stories told by the women, their contribution to the township's social fabric becomes apparent. Based on these life stories, an analysis of transitions in the gendered division of labour and more specifically the gendered division of care as well as of transitions in family formation is presented and discussed. Finally, the article argues that governmental efforts to improve life in the township through, for example, developmental social welfare must be embedded in a deeper understanding of gendered power processes in order to avoid continuing to exploit women's caring capacities and also must promote caring masculinities if the township community is to keep together.