WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN LEADERSHIP AND BUSINESSES IN NIGERIAN WORKPLACES: A STUDY OF TRADE UNIONS SINCE 1999

Research Problem: Since the declaration by the United Nations of the years 1976-1985 as the UN decade for women, there have been efforts by governments and organisations in Nigeria aimed to encourage women participation in governance and business. Workshops and conferences were organized towards this goal. One of such effort was the national workshop organized by the Michael Imoudu Institute for labour Studies in 1994 with the aim to address the in-adequate participation of women in trade unionism in Nigerian workplaces. Fourty years after the UN declaration, this work assess the various efforts by the trade unions in Nigeria towards achieving this goal. Methods: Data was collected from the various trade unions in Nigeria as well as the labour centres. Oral interviews were conducted. Newspaper reports of the activities of trade unions during this period also augment the data collected from the trade unions. Results: The research finds that while the unions have made several initiatives towards women inclusion in leadership, men are still in dominance. Conclusion: A lot still needs to be done to enhance women participation in leadership. Key Contribution to Knowledge: This work historicises the efforts y trade unions in Nigeria towards women inclusion in governance so as to chart a way forward for future policy direction in this aspect of gender mainstreaming. Recommendation: The work recommends enhance and sustained policy advocacy by leadership of trade unions in Nigeria as a pivot for women’s business and leadership empowerment.