Assessing The Challenges Women Entrepreneurs Face In Balancing Work And Housework Responsibilities In Madina

ABSTRACT Work-life balance is an important issue in the life of women most especially married women. The study sought to assess the challenges that women entrepreneurs face in balancing their work and domestic work responsibilities using a nationally represented data obtained from the Gender and Enterprise Development Survey conducted by ISSER in 2014. The study employed a mixed method approach to analyze responses from a sample of 835 married and ever married women. The data helped to unravel the determinants of work-life balance, and the predictors of job satisfaction among female entrepreneurs. In addition to the quantitative data, 22 married and ever married women entrepreneurs were purposively sampled in the La Nkwantanang-Madina municipality and interviewed in other to ascertain the challenges and coping strategies adopted by the women to attain a balanced life. The study found a significant relationship between some socio-demographic factors such as age, level of education, household size, and region, children between 5-12 and dependents and work-life balance. Religion was however found to be insignificant in determining the work-life balance of women entrepreneurs. Economic challenges and stress were the main challenges facing women entrepreneurs as ascertained by the study. Spousal support, support from family members such as children, good time management, having a caretaker and waking up early were the methods or techniques used by the women entrepreneurs to balance their work and domestic work responsibilities. Factors that influence the job satisfaction of women entrepreneurs include age, educational level, dependents, years of work, hours spent on work, profit or cash flow into the business, the presence of a caretaker and competition in their sectors of work. An insignificant relationship was found to exist between hours spent on domestic work and job satisfaction. The women indicated economic benefits, work autonomy and the flexibility of work as the major influencers of job satisfaction