An Empirical Study of Women in the Workplace: International Human Rights and Implications on the Nigerian Labour Law

Abstract:

This study empirically investigates working women and their rights in the work place in Nigeria. Acknowledging the significance of women in the economic development of any country and the numerous challenges they face in every area of life; it becomes expedient to find ways in which their jobs can be maintained as they approach motherhood in line with existing international human rights and labour laws. The main aim of the study was to investigate if the right of working women in private organizations corroborates with international human rights standards and if the Nigerian labour laws uphold international human rights standards as regards working women and their rights to motherhood. To achieve this objective, research hypotheses were stated alongside research statements in relations to the laws. 170 structured questionnaires were administered to selected working women in private practices in Nigeria and the collected responses were analyzed with a statistical tool called the Chi-square test at 5% level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that Private organizations in Nigeria partially implement or observe relevant laws relating to women rights to work and motherhood while the provision made by the Nigeria Labour Act is insufficient to protect the right of working women as distilled from International Labour Standards. This study also found out that most working women disagree with the questions that their employer neither increase the length of maternity leave nor create childcare facilities in the workplace. The actions of these employers contravene policies initiated by the convention of the right of the child as well as the maternity protection convention. The study therefore recommends a Union for working mothers to agitate that Nigeria become a signatory to the maternity protection convention and a revision of the Nigeria Labour Act to corroborate with the International Labour Standard as regards working mothers and their right in the work place.