How can we promote equity and inclusiveness in African household governance systems?

I am sharing these thoughts towards promoting equity and inclusiveness in African household governance systems. I hope to carry out a full-fledged research on it soon enough, during a fellowship. Here goes...

Considerable efforts of rules-based international order and associated organisations focus on enhancing the performance of developing country governments and their governance structures on eight (8) fundamental parameters of good governance: rule of law, transparency, responsiveness, consensus orientation, equity and inclusiveness, effectiveness and efficiency, accountability and participation. In effect, several African governments seek to perform better on each of these metrics in order to improve their international outlook, attractiveness to foreign aid and investments as well as garner institutional support for inclusive growth and sustainable development initiatives (Brookings, 2019). 

Furthermore, the collective action of global governance institutions towards the promotion of equality in education and political representation has increased female school enrolment and completion rates as well as female labour market participation. Consequently, the rise in female educational achievements and entrance into the labour force has led to dual-earner household models, whereby paid work is combined with unpaid household work and care responsibilities (Adisa, 2017; Albrecht, 2002). However, there is limited focus of research and policy on governance parameters at the micro-level of the traditional household unit.

For instance, the average Nigerian household is pervaded by patriarchal perspectives, with women getting disproportionate shares of household production responsibilities. Even though the model of a dual-earner household has replaced the traditional household form, wherein adult male household heads are engaged in paid employment to cater for households needs, while the female provides care and related duties, division of unpaid household work remain skewed in many homes towards working women. In effect, working mothers tend to bear a greater proportion of unpaid household work in addition to the burden of work demands at their formal employment. In this way working women and school-age girls tend to be more time-poor than their male counterparts (Abdourahman, 2010). 

Time poverty describes deprivation of a valuable resource, time, needed for investment in human capital and social capital development, all of which can impact on the wellbeing of current and future households as well as inclusiveness of economic growth (Walker, 2013). Furthermore, stereotypical male dominance affects choice of career subjects, which account for much of the deficits in the enrolment of girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields of study (UNCTAD, 2019; Okeke, 2017; WEF, 2017). Therefore, it is apparent that while inclusive, sustainable and accountable governance systems are desirable at the national level, they are also desirable in traditional African household units.

The literature is replete with evidence from developed country contexts on household governance, time allocation in families and wider effects on the macro economy (Wotschack, 2009). Also, some studies have documented evidence of time poverty and persistent gender disparities in the division of paid and unpaid work for a number of developing countries (Adeyeye, 2019; Arora, 2014; Zilanawala, 2013). However, the dearth of studies on equity and inclusiveness in household governance in African countries leaves much to be desired.

The development literature documents the impact of interventions such as international aid, trade and investment flows and global governance institutions on sustainable governance and growth. Nevertheless, other non-economic factors such as culture, norms, and informal institutions can either contribute to or be detrimental to desirable objectives of national and global development.

My research seeks to project the relevance of governance structures at the household level. The findings of the proposed study can help influence public policy in Nigeria and elsewhere towards promoting equity and inclusiveness in household forms and governance, thereby raising national productivity.

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