Lusanda Mhlahlo, Siphesihle2025-06-112024Lusanda Mhlahlo, Siphesihle. (2024). A Decomposition Analysis of Gender Disparities in Need and Unmet Need for Care and Support in Urban Gauteng [Master’s dissertation, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WIReDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/45110A research report submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Commerce, In the Faculty of Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economics and Finance, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024Gender inequalities are a pervasive issue with far-reaching effects across all aspects of society, including the economy. This study delves into gender health disparities, specifically focusing on need and unmet need for care and support. Using data from the Gauteng Quality of Life Survey of 2020/2021, the study employs logistic regressions and a decomposition model to analyse the prevalence of need and unmet need, and how these differ across sex. The findings of this study highlight a higher prevalence of need among women, with employment emerging as the most significant factor contributing to the gender gap in need. Equalizing employment levels between men and women could potentially reduce the gender difference in need by 15%. Additionally, the study identifies a self-reported history of intimate partner violence (IPV) as a key contributor to gender disparities in need, suggesting that reducing the prevalence of IPV among women to match that of men would help narrow the gender gap. Furthermore, the study reveals a greater prevalence of unmet need among men, once again linking a self-reported history of IPV to this disparity. These findings shed light on the complex interplay of gender, health, and societal factors, emphasizing the importance of addressing gender inequalities in healthcare and support systems.en© 2024 University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.UCTDNeedUnmet needhealthcareGender disparitiesDissertationUniversity of the Witwatersrand, JohannesburgSDG-5: Gender equality