The traditional social and political systems in the South African countries are structured based on the institutions of kinship and marriage. Due to inherited social structure rules, different genders in the South African countries hold different roles in the communities.

One of the most important roles of women in the South African countries is reproducers. According to the article “Gender Roles, Marriage and Family”, “Childbearing is the most crucial function of the family. The birth of a child confirms the bridewealth contract between the woman’s family and that of her husband and validates her status as an adult and a complete woman” (Afolayan, p.190). After marriage, several rights of women transfer from women’s father to her husband and his family. Those rights include sexual access which now exclusively preserved to her husband and his family, control over the woman’s labor and productive powers domestically as well as in the fields, and procreative power. Besides childbearing, women have to take the responsibility of rearing, cooking, and how to better take care of the expanded family.

Afolayan also mentioned the changing status of women in the South African countries: “Due to the labor migration, the discovery of minerals, industrialization, and urbanization, rural South African communities became settlements of old men, children, and women.” Women perform duties traditionally reserved for the men, be considered as heads of household and become mainly responsible for the maintenance of the whole family (Afolayan, p.204).

Men’s roles in the South African country are mainly producers focusing on the out-of-house activities. The world of money and power and thus of greater value and prestige was considered to be the exclusive domain of man (Afolayan p.203). Men take responsibility to create wealth for a household. In order to get marriage, a man has