Employment, Motherhood and Wellbeing: A Discourse on the Trio within Public Organisations in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

African women in public service experience some issues in their bid to juggle between their jobs and parenting; however, not much is available within the literature to explain these dynamics. This study seeks to document this by understanding their experiences, the coping strategies adopted and the implications on the respondents’ wellbeing and that of their children. For quantitative data, a total number of one hundred and sixty questionnaires were purposively administered to mothers with infants working within the selected organizations and complemented with twenty in-depth interview schedules. Findings: a majority (40.0 percent) of the respondents were aged 31-40 years. About 73.0 percent claimed their challenges include how to combine paid employment with motherhood while 26 .9 percent attributed it to finance. Respondents mentioned that their children experience diarrhoea and malaria (22.2 percent), loss of appetite and weakness (23.1 percent) while they are away to work. On the part of the mothers, 62.3 percent claimed that their major challenges are stress and in ability to focus on their work. Respondents further argued that child spacing (7.5 percent) and support from husband (17.5 percent) are part of their coping mechanisms. Working mothers need a more conducive atmosphere for career development and parenting.

Keywords

• gender
• workplace
• Woman
• Motherhood
• Child
• Nigeria