Women in the Trade Union Movement in Nigeria: The Constraints

Abstract

There exist a corpus of literature on the trade union movement in Nigeria and its unique position in the industrial relations system, but with little reference to the active involvement of women. Studies by Ubeku (1983), Yesufu (1984), and Fashoyin (1984) are some of the detailed works on the industrial relations process with no reference to participation of women. This has given credence to the assertion that in spite of changes in societal outlook of the capabilities of the Nigerian woman and her significant contribution to the development process (World Bank, 1992), issues in the socio-economic development in Nigeria are rarely treated from the gender point of view (Parpart, 1988). There is therefore an urgent need for studies which uses gender as a socio-economic variable in understanding developments in the political economy. It is in this sense that this analysis which treats women as a theme central to the understanding of issues in labour unionism in Nigeria is significant. Its expositions of the constraints mitigating against the female trade unionist in her bid to participate actively in the process of creating through the labour movement, a society conducive for the industrial growth of Nigeria is crucial to understanding her role in nation building in recent years.