African Journal of Gender and Women Studies

African Journal of Gender and Women Studies | Vol. 11, No. 10, October 2026 | pp. 127–140

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001324

Article Type: Research Article

Title: Caregiver Burnout, Eldercare Policies, and the Intergenerational Sandwich Generation

Names of Author: Nomvula Zungu¹, Mei-Hua Lin², & Katarzyna Nowak³

Author's Affiliation: ¹Department of Social Work, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; ²Institute of Health and Welfare Policy, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan; ³Institute of Sociology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract:
Increasing life expectancy, urban migration, and declining state investment in public eldercare have placed unprecedented caregiving demands on midlife women belonging to the "sandwich generation"—those simultaneously raising children and caring for aging or chronically ill relatives. Because cultural norms across diverse societies naturalize women’s unpaid caregiving as a moral duty, female caregivers experience acute physical exhaustion, career interruptions, and reduced retirement savings without institutional recognition or financial compensation. This paper examines the lived experiences of sandwich-generation female caregivers in South Africa, Taiwan, and Poland. Anchored in feminist care ethics and comparative social policy analysis, the study draws upon 60 in-depth caregiver interviews and evaluations of national eldercare support schemes. The findings underscore that achieving gender equity across the life course requires universal public eldercare infrastructure, paid family care leave, and caregiver pension credits.

Keywords: Eldercare, sandwich generation, caregiver burnout, feminist care ethics, unpaid care work, social policy, aging, gender equity

Manuscript Timeline: Received: August 25, 2026; Revised: September 25, 2026; Accepted: September 29, 2026; Published: October 15, 2026.

Citation: Zungu, N., Lin, M.-H., & Nowak, K. (2026). Caregiver Burnout, Eldercare Policies, and the Intergenerational Sandwich Generation. African Journal of Gender and Women Studies, 11(10), 127–140. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AJGWS/001324

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