Gender and socio-economic perspectives to rural women participation in National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Gender and socio-economic perspectives to rural women participation in National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) in Ebonyi State, Nigeria

2015

E12223

The study assessed gender and socioeconomic perspectives to rural women participation in National Programme for Food Security (NPFS) in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A combination of purposive and multi-stage random sampling techniques were employed in selection of 180 (one hundred and eighty) women beneficiaries (respondents) for the study. Primary data were collected through field survey using a well structured questionnaire and interview schedule. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics according to the specific objectives of the study. The result of the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents shows that majority 56.70% and 76.60% were married and fall within age bracket of 21-40 years. Majority 63.30% had no formal education. The household and farm size of most of the respondents 50% and 67.80% ranged between 6-10 persons and 1.1-1.5 hectares. Most of the women 32.20% had been farming between 11-15 years. Self-sourcing was the major source of fund to majority 46.70% whose income per annum ranged between Naira51,000-Naira100,000 with 51.70% response. The result of comparative analysis of participants (beneficiaries) according to gender reveals that in all the L.G. As studied, the percentage of men who participated in NPFS was greater than that of females. The result of multiple regression analysis revealed that the level of women farmers' participation in NPFS was influenced by their socio-economic characteristics as reveled by high co-efficient of multiple determination (R2) of 77 percent. All the independent variables were positively signed and statistically significant. The result of factor analysis indentified financial, administrative and institutional constraints as barriers limiting women farmers' involvement in NPFS. It was concluded that gender disparity existed from the planning to actual implementation of the programme in Ebonyi State of Nigeria. The study recommended integrated capacity building programmes for women at grassroots level to empower them for greater participation in farm-based intervention in the state.

3(6):1563-1569, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE INNOVATIONS AND RESEARCH

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