FEMALE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION: EFFECT ON FAMILY LIFE OBLIGATIONS IN ALIMOSHO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, L'AGOS

This study focuses on the examination of the effect of female labour force participation on their family life obligations in Alimoso Local Government Area of Lagos State. In this connexion, a socio-economic model was developed in which 5 categories of variables are involved. These include Background characteristics, Employment history, wife-husband relationship, fertility history andPractice of family planning. The analysis of the datais based on the information from 310 female respondents who have been married and who were currently working as at the time of the survey. The study made use of two methods in its attempt to measure the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. These methods are simple cross tabulations and logistic regression model. The findings reveal the following: (1) The working women in the informal sector are likely to enjoy a longer duration of breastfeeding. (2) Couples or respondents in the higher incarne group, Nl,600+, may decide to shorten their duration of breastfeeding due toc their greater financial strength to buy breastmilk substitutes. (3) Mothers with number of children within the bracket 1-4 are more likely to enjoy working away from home. (4) Women in the formal sector are likely to experience an increased odds of having to cook their husbands' meals. (5) The majcrity of the women
are working as an alternative means of supplementing their husbands' income. ( 6) Some working mothers leave their children at the mercy of somebody or people at home while away to work especially where the extended family or kinship system is operative. At times, working mothers combine both work and childcare.