Gender, legal and economic aspects of domestic services in households

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to examine how the demand for and utilization of domestic services is influenced by the social and economic standing of households, as well as the preferred gender of domestic workers hired by employers. The study employed a survey research design. The primary instruments employed for data collection were questionnaire and interview schedule. A total of 294 respondents were deliberately chosen from an unlimited number of houses that employ house aids in Enugu Urban. In order to account for variations in population density throughout the city, Enugu urban was divided into three distinct sections based on population density: low, medium, and high population areas. The acquired data were analyzed through the use of tabular summaries, graphical displays, and calculated percentages. The Pearson chi-square test statistic was employed to evaluate the hypotheses. The findings indicate that the home lifecycle played a significant role in determining the demand for domestic workers in Enugu State, Nigeria. Older and married individuals were more likely to hire domestic staff compared to younger and single individuals. The recruitment of domestic workers in Enugu primarily relied on the endorsement of relatives and informal employment intermediaries. There are no established employment regulations that govern the recruitment of domestic helpers in Enugu, Nigeria. The study concluded by highlighting the crucial role that domestic workers play in bridging the gap caused by the need to balance work and family life. Additionally, it emphasized their contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of countries. The report additionally proposed the necessity of implementing effective regulatory policies and laws to improve the sector, given its prevalence of anomalies.