Cohabitation and the socio-economic well-being of children in Botswana

Over the past four decades Botswana has witnessed considerable changes in nuptiality patterns reflected in, among others, notable increases in cohabiting unions. According to the 1991 census, 12 percent of all people aged 15 years and above reported themselves as cohabiting. This figure had increased to approximately 17 percent and to over 20 percent at the time of the 2001 and 2011 census respectively. To the extent that parents’ union status has important implications for children’s well-being and overall development, this paper uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative data to assess the extent to which the increase in cohabitation has impacted on the socio-economic wellbeing of children in Botswana. The overall results show that neither of the two legal systems in Botswana (customary and civil law) recognises cohabitation as a social institution and, in consequence, children of cohabitants socially disadvantaged relative to those whose parents are married. Evidence is also presented to show that children of cohabitants are likely to be raised in less economically favourable conditions than those children whose parents are married. The paper concludes with a discussion of the policy implications of the results and a proposed research agenda for future work on the subject.