Analysis of Gender Inequality in Domestic Labour and Its Implications for Women’s Mental Health in Kano State

This study analyses the relationship between gender inequality in domestic labour distribution and mental health outcomes among married women in Kano State, North West Nigeria. Domestic labour inequality, characterised by women's disproportionate assumption of unpaid household tasks, has been linked to psychological distress, reduced life satisfaction, and burnout in empirical literature from multiple cultural contexts. Using a cross-sectional analytical design, the study targets 320 married women aged 20 to 50 in Kano Municipal and Fagge local government areas. Data were collected using the Household Labour Distribution Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale. Objectives include measuring the degree of domestic labour inequality, assessing women's mental health status, and examining the mediating role of perceived fairness in the relationship between labour inequality and mental health. Analytical methods include structural equation modelling, mediation analysis, and multiple regression. The Gender Stress Theory provides the theoretical framework. Recent literature from northern Nigeria confirms that the dual burden of paid employment and unequal domestic responsibilities significantly predicts depressive symptoms among urban and peri-urban women. Findings are expected to reveal that perceived unfairness in domestic task allocation is a stronger predictor of psychological distress than absolute time spent on tasks. Recommendations address family welfare counsellors, the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, and Home Economics educators. Keywords: domestic labour, gender inequality, women's mental health, psychological distress, Kano State.