Similar to other regions, the proportion of women working in the formal sector in Sub-Saharan Africa has increased in recent years but their share of household and family responsibilities has not changed when compared to their male counterparts who are employed. Most of the time, women are the ones who undertake household work and other family responsibilities such as parenting, but their hectic work is often unrecognized, under-valued, and uncompensated. Combining employment with family responsibilities is quite demanding on women’s time, energy, resources, and health. Women’s ability to balance the demands of work and family would go a long way in improving their quality of life. Guided by social learning theory and rational choice theory, the paper discusses the women’s experiences with work demands, family responsibilities, challenges, and their efforts to balance work and family responsibilities in the context of Botswana. The article emphasizes among other things the need to provide gender-responsive labor market policies that will recognize women’s multiple roles and create a conducive environment that will recognize their contributions in both paid work and unpaid work at family and community levels.

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