Project – The Influence of Changing Gender Roles on Household Decision-Making: A Study of Married Couples in Enugu Metropolis

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

The family remains one of the most important social institutions through which individuals organise intimate relationships, reproduce social values and make decisions concerning the welfare of household members. Within marriage, household decision-making involves choices concerning finances, children’s education, healthcare, housing, employment, family planning, domestic responsibilities and relationships with relatives. Traditionally, many Nigerian households have been characterised by gendered divisions of responsibilities in which men are expected to provide financial resources and exercise major authority while women are primarily associated with domestic responsibilities and caregiving. However, social and economic changes have increasingly altered the way husbands and wives contribute to family life. Greater female participation in paid employment, increased educational attainment, economic pressures and changing expectations concerning marriage have created circumstances in which household responsibilities and decision-making may be increasingly negotiated between spouses. Research on Nigerian households continues to show that gender norms influence the distribution of authority and participation in family decisions, making gender roles an important factor in understanding marital decision-making (Oyediran & Odusola, 2004; Olubukola, 2022). 

Gender roles refer to socially constructed expectations concerning the behaviours, responsibilities and activities considered appropriate for men and women within a particular society. These roles are influenced by culture, family upbringing, religion, economic conditions, education and wider social institutions. In many Nigerian communities, traditional gender norms have historically associated men with breadwinning, leadership and major household decisions, while women have been expected to manage domestic activities and childcare. Recent evidence from Nigeria demonstrates that these gendered expectations remain influential, with participants in qualitative research describing men as primary decision-makers in areas such as children’s education, healthcare, employment, movement and family relationships. At the same time, social change has created circumstances in which women increasingly participate in paid employment, generate income and contribute to household resources, potentially changing the balance of responsibilities within marriage. Thus, changing gender roles may involve shifts from strictly differentiated responsibilities toward greater sharing of domestic, economic and decision-making responsibilities between husbands and wives (Klugman et al., 2014; Nwankpa et al., 2024). 

One major factor associated with changing gender roles is the increasing economic participation of women. As more married women engage in formal employment, business activities, professional occupations and other income-generating activities, their economic contribution to household welfare may increase. Economic contribution can affect household bargaining because the resources brought into a household may influence the ability of each spouse to participate in decisions concerning expenditure, investment, children’s welfare and other family matters. Research on Nigerian household decision-making has shown that women’s socioeconomic characteristics and gender-role attitudes are associated with patterns of household decision-making. Olubukola (2022), for example, found that gender-role attitudes and religiosity were important factors associated with household decision-making styles among married individuals in Lagos State, while Oyediran and Odusola (2004) linked women’s increased contribution to household resources with changing patterns of participation in family decisions. These findings suggest that changes in women’s economic roles may have implications for how authority and responsibility are negotiated within marriage. 

Education is another important factor associated with changing gender roles and household decision-making. Educational attainment can increase individuals’ access to employment, information, social networks and opportunities for economic participation, while also influencing attitudes concerning gender equality and family relationships. As women acquire higher levels of education, they may become more economically active and more likely to participate in discussions about important household matters. Evidence from Nigeria shows that household decision-making varies across social and geographic contexts, indicating that women’s autonomy is not determined by a single factor but is associated with broader socioeconomic and cultural conditions. Lamidi (2016), using nationally representative Nigerian data, found significant variation in women’s participation in household decision-making across states. Research from Enugu State also demonstrates that women’s participation in family and farm decisions is broader than a strictly domestic role, with women involved in decisions concerning farming, marketing, marriage, domestic matters and family healthcare (Lamidi, 2016; Umeh, Chukwu, & Nwachukwu, 2014). 

The changing nature of gender roles can also be observed through the increasing negotiation of domestic responsibilities between married couples. Traditional expectations often assign household chores, childcare and other unpaid domestic work disproportionately to women, even where women also engage in paid employment. When both spouses participate in income generation, disagreements may arise concerning how domestic tasks should be distributed and who should have primary responsibility for particular family activities. Recent research among married female primary school teachers in Enugu State found evidence of gender-role shifts involving female breadwinning and shared household chores. The study reported that 37.2% of respondents were family breadwinners, while 18.2% reported sharing household chores with their husbands or partners. It further found that shared responsibility for household chores was associated with lower odds of work-family conflict (Onyekwere et al., 2024). This evidence is particularly relevant to the present study because it demonstrates that changes in economic and domestic roles are already occurring within married households in Enugu State. 

Household decision-making encompasses several dimensions, and changes in gender roles may influence different decisions in different ways. Decisions regarding household expenditure, children’s education, healthcare, reproductive choices, housing, savings, major purchases and social relationships may involve either male-dominant, female-dominant or joint decision-making patterns. Evidence from southeastern Nigeria has shown that men and women may differ in their control over household resources and decision-making, while joint decision-making does not necessarily guarantee equal access to resources. In addition, research among married women in Enugu and surrounding southeastern communities has demonstrated that gender relations can influence decisions concerning family planning and other reproductive matters. Ugwu, Ogbuke and Ofoegbu (2020) specifically examined married women in Nkanu area of Enugu State and identified gender inequality and the division of decision-making authority as relevant issues in family planning. Similarly, research based on Nigerian household data has linked women’s decision-making autonomy with their ability to negotiate aspects of sexual and reproductive health (Do & Kurimoto, 2018). 

Enugu Metropolis provides an important setting for examining changing gender roles because it combines urban employment, education, commercial activities, professional occupations, diverse family backgrounds and continuing cultural expectations concerning marriage and family life. Although traditional gender norms continue to influence household relationships, socioeconomic changes may be creating new patterns of negotiation between husbands and wives. Existing research has examined women’s participation in household decision-making in Nigeria, gender-role shifts among married women in Enugu State, and family decision-making in communities within Enugu State. However, there remains a need for a focused study of married couples in Enugu Metropolis that examines how changing gender roles influence household decisions across areas such as finances, children’s welfare, healthcare, domestic responsibilities and major family decisions. The present study therefore seeks to examine the influence of changing gender roles on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis, with attention to the ways in which economic participation, shared domestic responsibilities, education and changing gender expectations may affect decision-making patterns within marriage (Onyekwere et al., 2024; Umeh et al., 2014; Ugwu et al., 2020). 

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Household decision-making in marriage has traditionally been influenced by gender expectations that assign different responsibilities and levels of authority to husbands and wives. In many Nigerian households, men have historically been regarded as principal providers and household decision-makers, while women have been assigned greater responsibility for domestic work and childcare. Although social and economic changes are altering these traditional arrangements, evidence suggests that male-dominated decision-making remains common in many Nigerian households. Olubukola (2022), for example, found that 57.5% of participants in a study of married individuals in Lagos reported a male-dominant style of financial decision-making, while only 25% reported joint decision-making. Similarly, recent qualitative evidence from Nigerian communities indicates that men continue to be perceived as primary decision-makers concerning children’s education, healthcare, employment, movement and other major household matters. These findings raise questions about the extent to which changing gender roles have actually transformed decision-making relationships within marriage. 

A second problem concerns the growing economic participation of married women alongside continuing expectations that women should carry major responsibility for household duties. Women increasingly participate in paid employment, entrepreneurship and other income-generating activities, which may alter their contribution to household resources and their expectations concerning participation in family decisions. However, increased economic participation does not necessarily result in equal decision-making power within the household. Research in Enugu State among married female primary school teachers found that 37.2% of respondents were family breadwinners, but only 18.2% reported sharing household chores with their husbands or partners. The same study found that breadwinning was associated with increased work-family conflict, while sharing household chores was associated with reduced work-family conflict (Onyekwere et al., 2024). This suggests a potential mismatch between changing economic roles and the redistribution of domestic and decision-making responsibilities, creating an important issue for investigation among married couples in Enugu Metropolis. 

A further problem is that household decision-making covers several areas in which the influence of changing gender roles may differ. A woman may participate in decisions about children’s education or household purchases while having less influence over financial management, healthcare, reproductive decisions or major investments. Research in southeastern Nigeria has documented differences between men and women in household resource allocation and decisions concerning healthcare, while research in Nkanu area of Enugu State has identified gender inequality in marital decision-making concerning family planning. These findings indicate that household decision-making cannot necessarily be treated as a single, uniform process. The extent to which husbands and wives participate may depend on the nature of the decision, the couple’s economic circumstances, education, cultural expectations and the distribution of resources within the household (Mbonye et al., 2018; Ugwu et al., 2020). 

The central problem addressed by this study is therefore the limited empirical understanding of how changing gender roles are influencing household decision-making among married couples specifically in Enugu Metropolis. Existing Nigerian research has established that gender norms, socioeconomic conditions, women’s economic participation and domestic responsibilities are associated with household decision-making, while studies in Enugu State have identified changes in breadwinning and shared household responsibilities. However, there remains a need for a focused investigation that brings these dimensions together and examines their influence on financial decisions, children’s welfare, healthcare decisions and domestic responsibilities among married couples in an urban Enugu setting. The present study seeks to address this gap by examining the influence of changing gender roles on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis, thereby providing empirical evidence on whether changing economic, educational and domestic roles are associated with greater participation and negotiation in household decisions (Lamidi, 2016; Onyekwere et al., 2024). 

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The broad aim of this study is to examine the influence of changing gender roles on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis.

The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the influence of women’s economic participation on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis;
2. determine the influence of shared domestic responsibilities on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis;
3. assess the influence of educational attainment and changing gender-role attitudes on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis; and
4. examine the influence of changing gender roles on joint decision-making concerning household finances, children’s welfare and healthcare among married couples in Enugu Metropolis.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent does women’s economic participation influence household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis?
2. How do shared domestic responsibilities influence household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis?
3. To what extent do educational attainment and changing gender-role attitudes influence household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis?
4. How do changing gender roles influence joint decision-making concerning household finances, children’s welfare and healthcare among married couples in Enugu Metropolis?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: Changing gender roles have no statistically significant influence on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to married couples because it will provide a better understanding of how changing expectations concerning the roles of husbands and wives may affect household decision-making. The findings may help couples understand the importance of communication, consultation and shared responsibility in making decisions that affect the welfare of the family.

The study will also be useful to marriage counsellors, family therapists, social workers and other professionals working with couples. The findings may provide information that can assist practitioners in understanding the relationship between gender-role expectations, economic contributions, domestic responsibilities and decision-making patterns within marriage.

The study will be useful to policymakers and organisations concerned with family welfare, women’s empowerment and gender relations. Evidence from the study may contribute to the design of programmes aimed at strengthening constructive communication, shared household responsibilities and equitable participation in family decisions.

The study will also contribute to academic literature in Sociology, Gender Studies, Family Studies, Social Work, Psychology and related disciplines. It will provide empirical evidence on changing gender roles and household decision-making within the specific cultural and urban context of Enugu Metropolis and may serve as a reference for future researchers.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the influence of changing gender roles on household decision-making among married couples in Enugu Metropolis, Enugu State, Nigeria.

Geographically, the study will be restricted to selected married couples residing in Enugu Metropolis. The respondents will comprise married men and women who have sufficient experience of household decision-making within their marriages.

In terms of content, the independent variable is changing gender roles, operationalised through women’s economic participation, shared domestic responsibilities, educational attainment and changing gender-role attitudes. The dependent variable is household decision-making, with attention to decisions concerning household finances, children’s education and welfare, healthcare, domestic responsibilities and other major family matters.

The study will not cover unmarried persons, divorced persons or households outside Enugu Metropolis. It will also not attempt to examine every dimension of gender relations within marriage. Its primary focus is the relationship between changing gender roles and household decision-making among married couples.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Gender: The socially constructed roles, expectations and behaviours associated with being male or female within a particular society.

Gender Roles: Socially recognised expectations concerning the responsibilities, behaviours and activities considered appropriate for men and women within marriage and the family.

Changing Gender Roles: The transformation of traditional expectations concerning the responsibilities and authority of husbands and wives, particularly changes involving employment, income generation, domestic work, childcare and participation in family decisions.

Household Decision-Making: The process through which married couples determine or negotiate choices concerning household finances, children’s education, healthcare, housing, domestic responsibilities, family planning and other family matters.

Married Couples: Adult men and women who are legally or customarily married and who live together as spouses.

Women’s Economic Participation: The involvement of married women in paid employment, business, entrepreneurship, professional work or other activities through which they contribute financial or material resources to the household.

Shared Domestic Responsibilities: The distribution of household activities such as cooking, cleaning, childcare, shopping and other domestic duties between husbands and wives.

Joint Decision-Making: A decision-making pattern in which both spouses participate in discussing and determining household matters.

Male-Dominant Decision-Making: A household decision-making pattern in which the husband exercises greater or primary authority over major family decisions.

Female-Dominant Decision-Making: A decision-making pattern in which the wife exercises greater or primary authority over particular household decisions.

Household Finances: The management and allocation of income and other financial resources available to the family for expenditure, savings, investment and other household needs.

Marital Relationship: The social, emotional and interpersonal relationship between a husband and wife within marriage.

Enugu Metropolis: The urban area comprising the major built-up communities and settlements forming the metropolitan area of Enugu State, Nigeria.

Project – The Influence of Changing Gender Roles on Household Decision-Making: A Study of Married Couples in Enugu Metropolis