NATIONAL NEWS - Grandstanding on inequality is useless when the reason given is wrong.
The biggest reasons for inequality is the share of households without both parents.
The facts speak for themselves.
Of the 36 countries who have a share of 33% of single-parent households 30 (83%) of them have a Gini of over 40. (The Gini is the most widely used measure of inequality) The 30 all fall inside the top third of countries who have measured a Gini in the last two decades!
The 40 most unequal countries in the world 39 are in the highest half of single-parent households.
Another way round tells as a dramatic story. 31 of the most top 40 most unequal countries have over 30% of all children aged under 15 living in single-parent homes. This incredible fact is never really written on much but rich countries who also tend to be more equal have about 17% of children staying in Single parent households of which 88% are female-headed.
The rest of the world an average of 30% of children live in Single Parent Homes. The average for Southern Africa is 45% and for the five SACU countries, the average is 63%!
The Southern African Development Community of 16 countries has 14 countries inside the 46 most unequal countries in the world. Mauritius and Tanzania are the only ones not to be in the most unequal countries!
However, all five SACU countries are in the 10 most unequal countries in the World. All five SACU countries occupy the highest five single-parent household shares. No SACU country has more than 42% of children stay in two-parent households!
This is rarely discussed in the public domain but it is a fact.
% of families with children under 15 years who are missing at least 1 parent.
1 Eswatini 70
2 Botswana 65
3 Namibia 63
4 South Africa 59
5 Lesotho 58
6 Jamaica 52
7 Saint Lucia 50
8 Gabon 49
9 Haiti 49
10 Zimbabwe 48
Source: UN household size and Composition Around the World 2017, Data mainly from census data and ranges from the years 2003 to 2005.
SADC countries seem to not realise that high numbers of children living in single-parent or even no parent households are a major cause of poverty and inequality.
Considering that almost one-third of children in many countries are raised by single mothers, it is relatively difficult to find detailed data on single parents trends and statistics, whether it be worldwide or nationally. It is also far harder for single parents to make ends meet and they have to divide one parent time and effort to bring an income and raise children.
In my opinion, the data is clear that the major cause of inequality is children living with single parents. (Unemployment is one too and that will be a focus soon)
I am amazed that very little research has been dedicated to this and that the headline themes in the discussion of inequality are high earners or the colour of one’s skin.
The main cause I believe by a large way (other than unemployment) is single or even no-parent households with kids under 15. If we do not address this factor, we can change every pay structure 180% and SA will still be one of the most unequal countries in the World!
Talk about myths and slogans this is the worst grandstanding we have done to the citizen and the debate in SA!
Table of the 10 most unequal countries in the world!
Rank most unequal countries on earth - 2003-2018
1 South Africa 63
2 Namibia 59,1
3 Zambia 57,1
4 Central African Republic 56,2
5 Lesotho 54,2
6 Mozambique 54
7 Botswana 53,3
8 Brazil 53,3
9 Eswatini 51,5
10 St Lucia 51,2
Source: World Bank.
'We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news'
