WOMEN EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ITS IMPACT ON FAMILIES’ STANDARD OF LIVING

ABSTRACT

This study examined women employment opportunities and its impact on family living standard in Isoko North LGA of Delta State. The study employed the survey research design. This was due to the fact that population studied was enormous hence, the study was quantitative in nature, and the semi-structured questionnaire which comprised open and close ended questions were administered to hundred (100) respondents, fifty (50) persons each from the two communities (Emevor community and Oghara-Iyede community) located in Isoko North LGA, Delta State using cluster and convenient sampling technique.

The findings from the study revealed that women employment opportunities are burdened with family economic demands; women employment is typically linked with the status that women have; education gives women a sense of belonging in the society and encourage them to make positive impact in their families, and the involvement of women in job engagement affects the quality of family life. The study further recommended that the Economic policies of governments should be geared towards the creation of jobs; since the involvement of women in job engagement affects the quality of family life, women should be given the same employment opportunity like their male counterpart; the girl-child education should be encouraged, so as to give the female folks a sense of belonging in the society and encourage them to make positive impact in their families; government should encourage the strengthening of the capability for unemployed rural and urban women. Since unemployed women constitute an increasing portion of the rural dwellers, economic policies should aim at enhancing their women employment opportunity; government and the stakeholders should increase the opportunities for empowerment. There should be an increase of opportunities for continued participation of both urban and rural unemployed women in productive work, and government should create the same employment opportunity for both men and women, so as to reduce the employment discrimination among women in the labour force.