Addressing Time Poverty among Women in Nigeria Through Building of Infrastructures

Time is an asset available to every individual in equal measure. However, this finite resource is not used by men and women in equal measure. The expected roles of both gender as well as availability or lack of basic infrastructures determine how much time one spends in paid work, unpaid care work, domestic chores, rest or leisure. Paid work, the burden of unpaid care work and domestic chores which fall on women as a result of social norms, and poor access to basic time-saving infrastructures are strong factors that make women time-poor and deprive them of sufficient time for rest, leisure, personal care and full labour force participation. This qualitative research analyses from the voices of the poor, the roots and effects of time poverty on women in Nigeria. It concludes with some strategic measures to combat time poverty and promote women’s quality economic productivity and general wellbeing. Received: 30 August 2023 / Accepted: 24 October 2023 / Published: 5 November 2023