Divorced Women and Married Men Work More

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Divorced Women and Married Men Work More

Women who are divorced, separated or widowed are more likely to be at a job than those who are married. In turn, women who are married are more likely to have a job than those who have never been married.

However, the reverse is the case for men. There are more married men who are employed than single and divorced men. 

Data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) shows that 47 of every 100 women who have never been married work. That is less than half of single women who have never been married work.

Married women do much better. Here, 72 of every 100 women who are married or living together with their men were working.

Among men, 99 out of every 100 married men are working. Among divorced men, it is 93 in every 100. 

Unmarried men appear to be able to stay out of jobs for a longer time, as only 71 in 100 are working.

A SCISPACE study revealed that “perceptions of job applicants can be influenced by their marital status, with married female applicants being rated as less suitable for employment compared to single female applicants. 

Besides people’s marital status, the number of children they have to cater to also connects with their likelihood of being found working – any kind of work.

More Children More Compulsion to Work

Data has shown that, the more the number of children men and women have, the more likely they get busy with work.  

The Demographic and Health Survey data shows that the highest category of people working in Nigeria is those with the most children. This is applicable to both genders, as they tend to work more than those that have fewer children.

However, the data only gave insight into how much they participate in the employment space. This doesn’t mean that there is automatic employment for people with more children. 

Besides, people who subscribe to family planning are less likely to be poor or remain poor. They are spared of the pressure to work by all means to cater for their dependants no matter meagre their income is. 

Birth control enables women to be healthier and have more equal opportunities to pursue an education, a rewarding career, and financial security.

Viable Women, Vulnerable at Work

More Nigerian women work in vulnerable workspaces characterised by low-paid jobs and severe working conditions compared to men.

This indicates that women are less likely to have formal work arrangements, social protection, and workplace safety.

People who work in vulnerable workspaces are usually employed in low-skilled, low-paid jobs with little or no job security. Their employers often exploit them by putting them to work in dangerous conditions and for long hours with low pay.

According to the World Bank, the vulnerable employment rate among women is 84.7%, while that among men is 73.7% in Nigeria as of 2021.

The proportion of women working in vulnerable workspaces in Nigeria is more than the average in Sub-Saharan African countries.

The data showed that 81.3% of women are in vulnerable jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa compared to 84.7% in Nigeria, as of 2021. Likewise, more men in Nigeria (73.7%) hold dangerous jobs compared with 68.1% of men in Sub-Saharan African countries in the same year.

Healthcare Bends towards Women

Women in Nigeria have access to health insurance and medical services more than men. This could be due to specific individual factors or policies in the workplace tailored towards addressing healthcare needs in the workplace.

This health Insurance is either employer-based or privately purchased commercial insurance.

Health insurance covers the medical and surgical expenses of an insured individual.

It either caters for the costs associated with illness or injury or directly pays the healthcare provider on behalf of the insured individual. 

According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, 16.5% of women have access to health insurance compared to 15.3% of men.

Additionally, women with no form of education or with a minimum of primary or secondary education have access to health insurance more than men.

The trend is a bit different with people who have more than tertiary education with only 12.8% of women having access to health insurance compared to 13.5% of men. 

Health insurance facilitates access to care and is associated with lower death rates, better health outcomes, and improved productivity. 

Geographic Gender Gaps in Employment

Women living in the Northern parts of Nigeria are less likely to be employed than those in the south. 

This means that women living in other regions such as Southwest, Southeast, and South south different from the Northern part have higher opportunities to be employed.