Special Report: Bridging Workplace Productivity Gender Gap

In today’s dynamic workforce, the gender gap in workplace productivity remains a persistent challenge.

Women often find it challenging to perform as well as men, partly due to household responsibilities like cleaning and caregiving. Many households also struggle to get appliances that could ease these tasks for women. Having these appliances would give women more time to focus on work and compete equally with men. 

This special report explores the profound effects of home appliances accessibility

can help women manage domestic duties faster, giving them more time to be creative and contribute better at their jobs.

The gender gap in the workplace has prevented many nations from tapping the  potential of women and the substantial contributions they could make to a nation’s GDP if provided with the means to harness their capabilities.

The workplace gender gap has hindered nations from unlocking the potential of women and the significant contributions they could bring to a country’s GDP if given the opportunity to utilize their capabilities.

Approaches to Domestic Activity

With the hustle and bustle of daily life in Lagos State, the average Nigerian woman is confronted with challenges around how to balance work activities and domestic activities.

Picture this; Woman A returns from the market with plans to prepare a beef stew, vegetable stew, swallow for dinner, and boil rice for the next day’s breakfast. Has a single-faced gas cylinder, She will spend about 4 hours to complete these tasks.

Now, contrast this with Woman B, with a well-equipped kitchen, leveraging technological appliances for cooking and has a constant power supply. For this woman, the convenience is revolutionary. She efficiently prepares a week’s worth of meals, securely stored in the fridge, and uses the microwave to quickly warm up dishes for family meals.

Beans, a common staple in Nigerian households, typically requires around 2 hours of preparation when using a regular pot. However, with the use of a pressure pot, this cooking time is significantly reduced to just 10 minutes.

One of the advantages and impacts of having access to home appliances for women includes the ability to reduce cooking time and expedite cooking activities, among other benefits.

The Daily Battles of a Nigerian Petty Trader

A petty trader, Shakirat Hammed, shares the challenging story of balancing motherhood and petty business without access to essential home appliances. Specializing in selling “Ekuru and Eko,” a South West Nigerian dish akin to White Moi Moi and Pap, Shakirat faces daily hurdles in her cooking process.

Cooking with firewood, she commences preparations at 11 am for her 2 pm sales. Involving her 9-year-old daughter in the process at times, they navigate the arduous task of setting up and maintaining the fire until it’s ready for cooking—a routine they undergo every day.

Beyond her business, Shakirat narrates her struggles using a kerosene stove at home, often dealing with adulterated kerosene that fails to burn. As she pours kerosene into the stove, Shakirat notices that the wick fueling the stove is nearly burned out. In response, she pauses to begin the process of fixing it.

Shakirat describes the hardships, particularly in cooking staple foods like beans, a process that sometimes takes up to four hours, with uncertain outcomes. Lacking a refrigerator at home, she warms her food daily.

As a single mother of two daughters, Shakirat’s day begins early, preparing breakfast for her children before tending to her firewood for the day’s business. Despite her awareness of cooking gas, the financial burden associated with filling it deters her, leading her back to firewood or her kerosene stove.

The absence of household appliances, attributed to financial constraints, forces Shakirat into traditional methods of domestic chores. Her story mirrors that of numerous women in rural areas of Ibadan, underscoring how the lack of access to household appliances consumes valuable time that could otherwise be directed towards their businesses or livelihoods.

Mother of Three Speaks on Appliance Challenge 

Elizabeth Bulus, a mother of three living in an area with limited electricity, shared her struggles due to the lack of household appliances. With only 3 hours of electricity daily, she faces challenges getting her children ready for school and preparing meals. Despite owning a fridge, the short power supply hinders its effectiveness in preserving food.

Weekends bring the added task of washing clothes, taking up around 3 hours. Elizabeth expressed inconvenience and a desire for technological innovations to ease her laundry burden. However, she questioned the effectiveness of such machines and their impact on clothes.

While she dreams of more household appliances in the future, Elizabeth highlighted the unreliable nature of her fridge and the difficulty in purchasing perishable items due to electricity fluctuations. Managing both motherhood and her fish-selling business becomes more challenging without essential appliances to alleviate the stress.

Juggling Motherhood and Banking

A financial analyst, Adegoke Oyewo,, shares her insightful journey of balancing the roles of a mother, wife, and career woman, emphasizing the invaluable support from technology in navigating the daily challenges.

“Combining the responsibilities of a mother, a wife, and a career woman has been a wonderful journey, guided by faith and supported by technology,” Adegoke remarks. Her job, she admits, is both mentally and physically demanding, often leaving her exhausted by the time she returns home.

To maintain a work-life balance, particularly as a mother, Adegoke ensures her home responsibilities do not impede her official duties and vice versa. “Eliminating obstacles is key,” she notes, focusing on strategies that streamline her daily activities.

One such strategy involves efficient morning routines. “By 7 am, my child is already at school, and I’m on my way to the office,” she explains. To save time, Adegoke employs various appliances like a grinder for blending, slicers for chopping vegetables swiftly, and an air fryer for quick, healthy meals.

Technology has become my ally in the kitchen,” she adds, highlighting the air fryer’s efficiency in preparing meals like plantains and eggs or chicken in a matter of minutes. The use of a table gas or oven, powered by electricity or a generator when needed, further expedites her cooking process.

As a banker, concentration is paramount to avoid costly mistakes. Adegoke attests that any appliance she leverages must contribute to maintaining focus and efficiency. “In banking, even a 1% distraction can lead to serious consequences,” she asserts.

Reflecting on her journey, Adegoke expresses gratitude for the advancements in technology that have significantly eased her daily life. “It’s been an interesting journey,” she concludes, “combining motherhood and a banking career has its challenges, but with technology, I’ve found a harmonious balance between work and family.”

Balancing Motherhood and Business 

During an interview with Tolu Ajayi, a businesswoman and a mother, she highlighted the vital role home appliances play in her life, emphasizing time-saving benefits that enable her to strategize for her business. Pointing out the washing machine as essential, she explained how a 15-minute cycle allows her to multitask with other chores.

Highlighting the efficiency of a gas cylinder in hastening cooking, she compared it to stoves and noted its role in preventing the black residue associated with traditional stoves.

Discussing affordability, she acknowledged that some appliances are costly, while others are budget-friendly. Advising women to cultivate a saving habit, she encouraged investing in appliances to enhance their lives and reduce stress. Additionally, she mentioned how freezers aid in storing food, saving considerable cooking time.

While concluding, she expressed astonishment at homes without modern appliances for domestic chores especially with women who don’t have help either their spouses or paid helps, asserting that traditional methods can be emotionally draining. She urged every woman to strive for home appliances to simplify their lives.

The Gains of Gender Equity

Economics around the world have suggested that if women are incorporated Into the labour force, such nations would experience an increase in its Gross Domestic Product. 

A publication by S&P Global Women at Work: The Key to Global Growth states that “Increasing women’s labor force participation could add hundreds of billions of dollars to the global economy—and trillions of dollars to equity markets”. 

“In the United States, a modest increase in women in the workforce could add $511 billion to GDP over the next ten years. Similar increases are possible in most developed economies”.

Another study by McKinsey Global Institute finds that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality.

In a separate study by World Bank Blog, How to increase women’s economic participation it explains that Countries can gain as much as a 20 percent increase in GDP per capita and a 14 percent increase in wealth, on average, if women’s.

These studies have proposed that increasing the participation of women in the workforce isn’t merely a favor to women but a definite path to economic prosperity. 

A study on “Home Appliances and Female Labor Force Participation” reveals that the increased accessibility and reduced cost of home appliances contribute to greater participation of women in the labor market by minimizing the time required for household chores thereby provides women with more opportunities to concentrate on their careers.

A study on “the effects of time-saving household appliance ownership on outcomes for children and married women” indicates that married women, who have access to time-saving appliances as a substitute for human capital, enhance their likelihood of engaging in more productive employment outside of the household, thereby allowing women to redistribute their time toward more rewarding opportunities.

Timesaving appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, microwave ovens, electric cooking pots, and pressure cookers enhance the speed of domestic activities by decreasing the amount of time necessarily spent on household chores.

Closing the Gap

In a conversation with the Manager of Unic Electronics Investment International Limited, Irene Nwankwo, and an electronics business specialist, she highlighted the efficiency of various home appliances in making cooking faster and more convenient for women.

Irene emphasized the benefits of the air fryer, which reduces the amount of oil needed for frying, making the cooking process healthier. The microwave, according to her, is a time-saver as it defrosts and warms food quickly, eliminating the waiting time.

The refrigerator, in her view, plays a crucial role in storing cooked food, allowing for the preparation of larger quantities that can be shared and consumed over time. This, she explained, is especially beneficial for individuals returning home late, as they can simply warm up the pre-cooked food.

Efficient blenders, capable of blending beans, were also highlighted by Irene. She emphasized the time-saving aspect, as it eliminates the need to search for grinding services outside. This is particularly useful for preparing dishes like moi moi or bean cakes without leaving the house.

Gas cookers with multiple faces were commended for their ability to save time and enable simultaneous cooking. Irene envisioned scenarios where a woman can cook rice and make stew simultaneously, contrasting it with the time-consuming process of using a single burner.

Regarding affordability, Irene mentioned that determined women can make purchases and even arrange installment payments with dealers. She stressed the importance of determination, stating that when a woman sets her mind on acquiring an appliance, she can achieve it.

In assessing the benefits of home appliances for women, Irene highlighted that they contribute to securing the home, creating a peaceful environment, and simplifying cooking activities.

The CEO of Vineteck Solutions, Olamide Tijani, attests to the convenience of using dishwashing machines, emphasizing their ability to thoroughly clean and disinfect daily dishes.

Running a business with his wife, who is a producer, he appreciates the dishwasher’s efficiency in keeping their kitchen clean without the stress associated with traditional washing methods.

Tijani highlights the simplicity of scraping plates and placing them in the dishwasher, allowing them to engage in other activities or spend quality time together. For those seeking a stress-free way to handle dishes after a long day, he recommends investing in a dishwasher.

An Associate Professor and Acting Head of the Department of Political Science at Obafemi Awolowo University, specializing in Gender Studies, Peace and Conflict, and Political Economy, Dr. Mrs. Taiye Agbalajobi, emphasizes the importance of economic empowerment for women to amplify their voices.

Highlighting the significance of economic empowerment, Dr. Agbalajobi mentioned that it enables women to actively engage in decision-making processes, both in the private and public sectors, opening doors for leadership opportunities.

In addressing the potential of home appliances to narrow the gender gap in workplace productivity, Dr. Agbalajobi emphasizes that access to home appliances significantly extends women’s working hours, leading to increased income. She stresses that such access allows women to contribute more productive hours to their work.

Dr. Agbalajobi underscores the positive impact of quality and accessible childcare on women’s productivity, enabling them to enhance their contributions to the workplace. According to her, access to home appliances not only improves women’s quality of life but also reinvests in their work, resulting in greater gains, increased profits, and enhanced performance.

Enumerating the benefits of home appliances for women, she points out stress reduction and the creation of a conducive environment for both work and leisure at home. Additionally, she emphasizes that women, with reduced domestic responsibilities, can devote more attention to their spouses, children, and extracurricular activities, leading to increased productivity and value addition both at home and in the workplace.

EasyBuy: Empowering Buyers with Affordable Appliance Options

A sales representative named Daniel, specializing in electronics, highlighted new opportunities for potential buyers with limited income to acquire household appliances through a program known as EasyBuy.

Daniel explained that EasyBuy allows buyers to make purchases on credit and pay later. He gave an example;  if someone intends to purchase a fridge valued at N150,000, EasyBuy provides a loan of N50,000, and the buyer makes a deposit of N100,000. The N50,000 is then divided to facilitate easier completion of payments. An interest is added to the balance of N50,000 then distributed across the number of months the buyer opts for the payment plan.

EasyBuy offers various payment plans, such as 3 months, 4 months, and 6 months, providing flexibility for buyers to fulfill their payments, he added. 

Daniel emphasized that EasyBuy aims to create a level playing ground, especially for individuals who may find it challenging to make a one-time payment for appliances.

Executive Director of the Centre for Gender Economics (CGE Africa), Uchenna Idoko, shared insights on the government’s role in reducing the unpaid care work burden on women, emphasizing the need for recognition, redistribution, and reduction of these responsibilities.

Idoko highlighted the significant unpaid care work women undertake, including childcare, house chores, and family care, which often goes unrecognized and uncompensated. She urged the government to quantify these contributions to appreciate their economic value.

She pointed out that stigmatizing stay-at-home moms disregards their substantial contributions to household and societal well-being. Idoko emphasized that unpaid care work extends beyond traditional roles and includes various services that women provide without monetary compensation.

To address this issue, Idoko proposed three key actions for the government: recognition of women’s contributions, the development of statistical tools to quantify unpaid care work, and the inclusion of these contributions in revenue calculations.

She emphasized the need for public awareness campaigns, involving government agencies, to sensitize men and boys to actively participate in unpaid care work otherwise known as household activities.  Idoko challenged traditional gender roles, advocating for cultural shifts that recognize everyone’s responsibility in household chores.

In terms of reduction, Idoko suggested policy changes to support women, such as public day care centers, after-school programs, and community services that alleviate the burden of unpaid care work. 

She called for the government to invest in clean energy solutions for instance Solar Energy, cooking appliances that helps women to reduce their cooking time.

Idoko concluded by urging the government to prioritize reducing the care burden on women, emphasizing the potential for economic growth and sustainability when women are freed from these responsibilities.

This report was facilitated by the Africa Centre for Development Journalism (ACDJ) as part of its 2023 Inequalities Reporting Fellowship supported by the MacArthur Foundation through the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

Mosunmola Ogi-olu

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