Rural women spend more time on unpaid domestic jobs, says Beatrice Eyong

Beatrice Eyong, UN Women representative to Nigeria, says a new time-saving instrument has been introduced to improve economic productivity and reduce work burden on Nigerians.

Eyong spoke on Friday at the national stakeholders meeting on funding for the Time-Use Survey (TUS).

The TUS was launched by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) with support from UN Women.

TUS is an essential tool that collects information about the time individuals spend on activities throughout a day.

She said rural women in Nigeria endure and spend most of their time on unpaid care and domestic jobs, adding that the new tool will enable the government to invest in time-saving measures.

“The Time-Use Survey provides us with an opportunity to gather evidence on how women and men spend their time, empowering us to guide policies that promote gender equality and empowerment, reduce the feminization of poverty,” she said.

“In Nigeria, rural women bear a heavier burden of work than men, spending approximately 2.5 times more on unpaid care and domestic tasks. The survey will help government invest in time-saving interventions.

“This survey represents a significant step towards promoting gender equality, enhancing economic productivity, and fostering sustainable development in Nigeria.”

On his part, Adeyemi Adeniran, chief executive officer of NBS, said the survey “provides essential data that enables government, policymakers, and development practitioners to make informed decisions and design effective policies to address the needs and aspirations of citizens”.