Challenges Faced by Guidance Counsellors and Non-Governmental Organisations in Supporting Domestic Workers in Nigeria

Domestic work is essential to daily life, yet domestic workers remain marginalized and largely invisible. Because their work is performed within private households, they often lack opportunities to report exploitation, poor working conditions, and other vulnerabilities. Consequently, support structures, including those provided by guidance counsellors and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have received limited scholarly and policy attention. This study is an attempt to unearth, examine the challenges faced by guidance counsellors and NGOs in supporting domestic workers in Nigeria. Two research questions and one null hypothesis guided the study, which adopted a descriptive survey design. The population comprised all guidance counsellors and NGO personnel engaged in child and domestic worker welfare interventions within the study area. A census sampling technique was used, yielding a total of 70 respondents. Data were collected using a structured four-point Likert-scale instrument titled "Challenges in Supporting Domestic Workers Questionnaire (CSDWQ)". The instrument was validated by three experts in Guidance and Counselling and Social Work, and had a Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.85. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation with a criterion mean of 2.50 for decision-making. The null hypothesis was tested using an independent samples t-test at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that access-related barriers, such as employer resistance and fear of victimization, significantly hinder counsellors’ and NGOs’ contact with domestic workers. Institutional constraints, including inadequate funding, weak legal frameworks, and lack of specialized training, also limit the effectiveness of support services. There was no significant difference between the perceptions of guidance counsellors and NGO personnel regarding these challenges. The study recommends stronger legal protection for domestic workers, specialized training for counsellors, and improved inter-agency collaboration to enhance support for domestic workers in Nigeria.

Domestic work, Domestic workers, Guidance Counsellors, NGOs, Challenges

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