Why Women Opt for Paid Employment

Fri, Mar 8, 2013

By publisher

3 MIN READ

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A New study of about 6000 women in six countries including Nigeria reveals that most of them prefer to be in paid employment for various reasons

|  By Maureen Chigbo  |  Mar. 18, 2013 @ 01:00 GMT

A NEW study conducted by Olam, an agricultural supply chain and food ingredients company, has revealed that most women opt for paid employment because it gives them independence and choices. The study was done in support of the International Women’s Day, March 8, and “The Gender Agenda, Gaining Momentum”.

Olam’s  unique survey into the social impacts of female employment in its cashew processing plants in emerging markets involved about 6000 women from rural communities in Côte d’Ivoire, India, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania and Vietnam. They were asked to choose the single most important reason they value their job, beyond the obvious financial benefits.  Thirty-six percent identified that working “gives me independence and choices”.  Thirty-three percent singled out the impact on ‘status and confidence’, while 19 percent felt that “I learn useful information to take back to my family”.  Just 11 percent of the respondents answered ‘none of these’.

Commenting on the findings, Briony Mathieson, head of Corporate and Sustainability Communications, said, “As a global employer, Olam is well placed to help understand how opportunities in agricultural processing, rather than in subsistence farming, are supporting women in remote rural communities.  These findings – although only an anecdotal snapshot – strongly suggest that these jobs provide much more than just a wage packet.

“The findings of our survey clearly reinforce that the value of working together in a sociable and supportive environment cannot be under-estimated.” Briony said but added, “It is clear that employment helps to build confidence and status among women, giving them choices and improving prospects for their children.  If the theme of International Women’s Day is gathering momentum through gender equality, our research suggests that more focus on rural employment would be a big move in the right direction.”

According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, report, on average, 43 percent of the agricultural labour force of developing countries is women.  It notes that ‘new jobs in high-value, export-oriented agro-industries offer much better opportunities for women than traditional agricultural work’. It goes on to state: “A very large body of research from many countries around the world confirms that putting more income in the hands of women yields beneficial results for child nutrition, health and education. Other measures – such as improving education – that increase women’s influence within the household are also associated with better outcomes for children.”

The research reflects Olam’s commitment to creating positive impacts in the communities in which it operates. For example, processing crops, such as cashews, closer to where they are grown not only reduces financial costs but retains economic value from the crops within the country of origin and creates more employment in rural areas, particularly for women.  In its sourcing operations, and through collaboration with partners, Olam provides education and business skills development for women employed in ‘traditional agricultural work’.  These programmes, which put equal emphasis on men, help to improve crop yields, secure income and create greater capacity for self-sustaining communities.