Changing times and women on the wheels: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of female commercial drivers in Lagos State, Nigeria
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy
ISSN: 1750-6204
Article publication date: 15 September 2021
Issue publication date: 8 March 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate female commercial drivers in the Lagos metropolis. The study sought to know the circumstances that motivated women to venture into commercial driving; the experiences they encounter whilst engaging with other stakeholders in the public space; the dimension of the conflict between work and family, and the coping strategies used and finally, the health concerns of female commercial drivers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a cross-sectional design and a qualitative method of data collection. An in-depth interview guide was used to elicit information from 18 female drivers drawn from three sectors of commercial transportation in Lagos State.
Findings
It was found that the major motivation for engaging in commercial driving is the need for survival and family support; although participants acknowledged that they cannot be in the profession for a long time. Married women had less time to engage in commercial driving due to other family responsibilities. Women drivers have experienced mixed reactions from other road users. Commercial driving is physically demanding and poses threat to the health of female commercial drivers.
Originality/value
The findings highlight the circumstances behind women participating in commercial driving. Despite the challenges encountered in this course of this activity, they are still bent on continuing because of the need to take care of their children, a majority of their spouses are not fully contributing to the maintenance of the home.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Citation
Owolabi, T., Alabi, T.A. and Busari-Akinbode, S.A. (2023), "Changing times and women on the wheels: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of female commercial drivers in Lagos State, Nigeria", Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 382-397. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-07-2021-0105
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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