The Time Poverty of Women

In 2018, The World Bank reported that 6.4% of the female labor force in Nigeria was unemployed, and only 13.2% of female workers received formal salaries/wages. These numbers are in stark comparison to the 23% of male workers who received formal salaries/wages in 2018. 

The women of the world complete 75% of the world’s unpaid work, which on average is equal to 2.5 times more than their male counterparts (UN Women, 2018). 

Unpaid work can include any means of social reproduction, from household duties such as cleaning, washing and cooking, to childcare and other chores necessary to a meaningful livelihood. 

This unequal distribution of unpaid work leaves women in “time poverty,” which means that they have significantly less time to engage in paid labor activities - not to mention time for rest or leisure activities. Still, World Bank reports that approximately 21% of all contributing family workers in Nigeria are female, while only about 11% are male. 

Although times are changing for women from more privileged socio-economic backgrounds, the vast majority of women in Nigeria still experience strong cultural and social patriarchal norms, which often limit their participation in or access to meaningful employment, financial services, access to higher education and healthcare.