Peer-reviewed article
Child Mortality, Parental Leave, and Gender Equality in Nigeria’s Public and Private Sectors
Motimifagha Kei ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This paper looks at how child mortality, parental leave and gender equality relate to each other in Nigeria's public and private sectors. It argues that parental leave can help infants get care, breastfeeding and medical attention in the early months. It also treats parental leave as a rough indicator of gender equality, for example in sharing caregiving and supporting women's work. The study uses secondary data and is guided by Motherism and human capital theory to explore differences in leave entitlements and workplace policies.
Key points
- Child mortality remains a pressing public health concern in Nigeria.
- Parental leave policies are said to help ensure infants receive adequate care, breastfeeding and medical attention in the critical early months.
- Parental leave also serves as a proxy measure for gender equality, including redistributing caregiving and supporting women's workforce participation.
- How parental leave is applied in public and private sectors varies and is poorly understood.
- The study uses Motherism and human capital theory and secondary data.
Limitations
Only the abstract is available, so no findings, figures or conclusions are reported, and the claimed link between parental leave and child mortality cannot be assessed. The study uses secondary data and does not evaluate a specific intervention.
Abstract
Child mortality remains a pressing public health concern in Nigeria, with significant implications for gender equality and national development. Parental leave policies play a crucial role in reducing child mortality rates by ensuring that infants receive adequate care, breastfeeding, and medical attention in the critical early months of life. These policies simultaneously serve as a proxy measure for gender equality, particularly in terms of redistributing caregiving responsibilities, supporting women’s workforce participation, and equal contribution to national development. However, how parental leave policies are operationalised across public and private sectors not only vary and poorly understood, but also how this relates to gender equality has not been adequately interrogated. How does parental leave policy in Nigeria’s public and private sectors impact child mortality rates? What is their variation(s), if any, and how do they influence gender equality? This paper examines the relationship between child mortality, parental leave, and gender equality in Nigeria’s public and private sectors. The study adopts Motherism and human capital theory as its theoretical guide, secondary data to explore disparities in leave entitlements, workplace policies, gender equality, and their broader socio-economic implications.