Women's Work

Village women gathering the millet they've pounded

Women work very, very hard in Niger.  Women carry water, in the rural setting - work in the fields, chop fire wood, cook the meals by fire, clean the house and sweep outside, wash the clothing, in the city – shop at the market, fully care for the children.  A mother with young children has a very difficult job, as she doesn't have established helpers.  Children are expected to work from a very young age.  The daughter of our guard is 4 years old and she washes her own laundry by hand.  She also washes dishes, carries younger children on her back, and runs all the errands to the neighbors for her mom.  It seems that many families span their children with 3-4 years because of the burden of work. 

Now there is another side to women's work.  We also observed a mother with older children – the youngest being 12 years old.  She now has them do most everything for her.  All of them, even the boys, wash and iron their own clothing.  The oldest female does all the cooking and washing of dishes.  The boys run to the market on their motorcycles.  And the youngest children tend to the mothers needs as she sits in her chair giving orders (but she also works at a steady job outside the house as something like a social worker in a clinic).