Women's Home-Building Role and Involvement in Economic Activities in Nigeria: Towards a Balanced Approach

Abstract

The need for women to increase their drive towards economic empowerment as well as remain good homebuilders in a rapidly challenging and competitive world cannot be over emphasized. On daily basis women are constrained by the burden of contributing effectively to economic activities in order to add to household income as well as remain good homebuilders/wives and mothers that require a whole domestic requirements and responsibilities. Notwithstanding the enormous attention that has been given to bridging gender gaps. little success has been achieved since the 1970s when increased attention has been focused on addressing the challenges of gender inequalities in all parts of the world especially as it concerns placing almost all the burden of domestic responsibilities solely on the shoulders of the women with little or no time left at their disposal to venture into rewarding economic activities that counts. In Nigeria, as is the case in almost other countries in Africa women carry the burden of economic responsibilities tor their families and children under severe financial and material constraints in addition to the burden of home keeping and domestic responsibilities. The thrust of this study is therefore to highlight and examine how women economic activities as well as livelihood opportunities can be increased in such a way that the home front will not suffer. This is because an empowered woman will go on to have an empowered family, she will be self - sufficient, be able to support her husband better and ultimately the community and society at large will be better off tor it. Unfortunately, results from the study have shown that some women with success stories in their career with professional accomplishment have broken marriages or had to contend with separation from their spouses due to cultural prejudices about the place of women syndromes, uncooperative actions of spouses/ feeling of neglect, abusive partners, jealousy etc. Bearing in mind the tact that the home front remains an important domain to women, it is therefore recommended that adequate strategies should be designed and put in place by all stake holders namely Women themselves, husbands, Government, policy makers entrepreneurs and business owners in such a way that the home /work balance can be achieved.