As much as 60% of children in the country under the age of 10 don't live with their biological fathers - the second highest rate of absence in sub-Saharan Africa - after Namibia. This compares to one-third in the United States.

South Africa's statistics are influenced by the history of migrant labour. Expropriation of the land of black Africans by colonial authorities, coupled with the levying of taxes, forced men (and later, women) to move to the growing cities to earn an income, while their wives and children stayed in the rural reserves or "homelands".

But there are other factors at play too. These include gender norms about childcare and the different roles attached to fathers and mothers. These norms also generally lead to men - even if they are physically present - making minimal contributions to unpaid care and household work.

But in a context of widespread unemployment, inability to earn an income and fulfil the "provider" role often leads men to abandon their children. This leaves women with the double burden of being the sole breadwinner as well as the person primarily responsible for unpaid care and household work. This, in turn, reinforces gender inequality as women have less time to pursue market work, education, leisure and civic life, and are expected to sacrifice their own interests for those of children.

But there are men who choose to be involved fully in the care of their children despite economic difficulty. We have done research into the reasons for this involvement, and the different forms that it takes. The initial research has been done by Masters students Manon van der Meer and Hylke Hoornstra, and forms part of my PhD which is due to be published early next year. We also examined men's attitudes towards gender, and how they define their masculine and paternal identities in the context of caring for children.