Prior to the advent of British colonialist in Nigeria, work outside the home setting was
considered strange and unfavorable by members of the society. Women were expected to be primarily
responsible to their families and other roles outside this were secondary. Things have taken a new turn;
yet, the belief is that women are not to be too much involved in wage employment especially on issues
surrounding it like trade unionism. This study therefore aims at understanding the contributions of women
to trade union movement in south west Nigeria. A total number of six hundred and forty female workers
in wage employment were selected for this study through a multi stage random sampling technique across
five major trade unions across south west Nigeria. Qualitative method in form of in depth interview was
also conducted for fifteen female members to complement the questionnaires collected. The study briefly
reviewed relevant literatures and situated the work in pluralist perspective. Three hypotheses were equally
tested for this work and findings revealed that women play active roles in trade union activities (P<0.05).
However, cultural factors still limit women in their commitments and contributions to trade union
activities, more especially due to the attitude of their male counterparts. This study therefore recommends
possible ways by which females can contribute more to the development of trade union movement in
Nigeria.