Some adult members of the community, particularly, though not exclusively, in Malawi, perceive a father's interest in his daughter's life as a sign of him harbouring incestuous feelings toward his daughter. Fathers tend to distance themselves from their daughters when they reach adolescence in order to avoid such accusations. Humiliation and shame were experienced particularly acutely due to the strain that poverty placed on these women's family relations. Lone mothers reported being insulted by family members, being made to feel a burden and in some cases abused, all of which undermined their self-esteem. Moreover, the consequent loss of standing in the community, coupled with an inability to provide for their children, further eroded their sense of dignity. This reduces parental ability to fulfil parenting aspirations both for young children (Bray & Brandt, 2007) and for adolescents (Bray, 2009, Bray, 2014, cited in Posel & Ross, 2014).