Examining the ‘Success Penalty’ in the Marriage Market for Nigerian Women

Abstract

In the last few decades, there have been noticeable changes in the role of women in the society, shown in women acquiring more education and attaining career heights. However, an area of great concern has been the conflict/challenges women face in marriage due to the pursuit of a 'different' career. One major theme that continues to recur is the 'success penalty' (that is the penalty women face in the marriage market for choosing another career, attaining career heights or being successful in the labour market). Such 'success penalties' as limited opportunities to bear and raise children, difficult in finding a husband, among others have been pointed in past literature. Obviously, in our contemporary society, 'success penalty' in the marriage market for women is noteworthy. Thus, this paper seeks to examine the 'success penalty' in the marriage market for unmarried Nigerian women. Taking into consideration the social and cultural milieu in a typical African society, the major questions this paper seeks to answer are: is there really a 'success penalty' in the marriage market for unmarried Nigerian women and in what forms? What are the developmental implications for women?