The double jeopardy of women with albinism in Ibadan, Nigeria: breaking the unemployment barrier

Abstract

Albinism is an inherited genetic condition, which results in a decrease or absence of pigmentation in the hair, eyes, and skin. Studies on albinism in Africa have focused on a wide range of themes with little or no effort to capture the unique experiences of women with albinism, particularly in relation to their unemployment challenges. Here, we explore the unemployment challenges of women with albinism in Ibadan, southwest Nigeria. We found that rejection based on skin color, prejudicial notion that women with albinism have body odor, general notion of their incompetence because of impaired eyesight, and stereotypical adherence to myths that albinism is bad all contribute to their exclusion from the labor force. We conclude that women with albinism in Ibadan experience double jeopardy of economic marginalization and livelihood deprivation due to their condition of albinism on one hand, and their being women, on the other hand.

Points of interest

• The article explores the lived experiences of women with albinism and barriers to their employment opportunities.

• Although there is no written institutional policy to discriminate against women with albinism, there are unfounded assumptions driven by ignorance of the condition.

• The article finds a two-fold challenge-being stigmatized for albinism and being a woman in a male centric society. While women with albinism in Nigeria are deprived access to white collar jobs, their entrepreneurial skills are also undermined in private business.

• There is no genuine political will to implement existing international and national laws that prohibit discrimination against people with disability.

• The research recommended the need to mainstream and monitor disability inclusion through education and advocacy across government ministries and human resource personnel in recruitment exercises.

Keywords:

• Albinism
• double jeopardy
• discrimination
• women with albinism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.