Employment Status and Marital Adjustment among Married Women in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated differences in marital adjustment among married employed women in Ekiti State of Nigeria based on various employment statuses. The purpose was to find out if marital adjustment could be influenced by employment status among the women. The population was all educated married women in Ekiti State of Nigeria. The sample was 897 married employed women who were selected through stratified random sampling technique. The research instrument titled marital Adjustment Questionnaire was designed and validated by the researcher. The null hypothesis postulated was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analyzed using t-test. Results of the analysis showed that significant difference in marital adjustment existed between teachers and Nurses, Senior and Junior Civil Servants, Bankers, Accountants and Workers in Service units in schools and hospitals, Doctors, Pharmacists, and the Self Employed. It was also discovered that there was no significant difference in marital adjustment among other of pairs groups of women. Based on the results of this study, it was recommended that paid employment organizers, managers and guidance counsellors should note the variables of interest in this employment status of the married women under this study and apply them in counselling married employed women in relation to employment outside the home to enhance high marital adjustment. Employed women should live with their husbands if possible, and should not engage in employment that will take them away for too many hours outside their home on a daily basis. Through seminars and workshops, individual counseling lectures, pre-marital and marital counseling should be given to women.

The Nigerian Journal of Guidance Counselling Vol. 10 (1) 2005: pp. 51-61