Does household technology influence female labour force participation in Nigeria

Abstract The technological revolution in the production of household durable goods has no doubt influence female labour force participation in most economies of the world. Studies from the developed economies show conflicting views on the effect of household technology on female labour force. The unanswered question in the literature remains if ownership of household technologies could lead women to either decrease or increase the time allocated to household production, thereby propelling women into the work force or leading them to a greater preference for leisure. This paper therefore empirically examines the effect of ownership of modern household technology – such as washing machine, gas cooker and refrigerators – on female labour force participation in a developing economy context. Primary data obtained through questionnaires were employed in this study. The data were analysed using Logit econometric technique. Findings indicate that the ownership of washing machine has a positive significant effect on female labour force participation. The study concluded that ownership of household technology does influence female labour force participation, to an extent, in a developing economy perspective.