WOMEN PARTICIPARTION IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES AND ITS EFFECTS ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN DELTA

This study assessed women's participation in agricultural cooperatives and its effects on rural development in Delta State, Nigeria. The objectives were to: examine the socio-economic relevance of women's cooperative involvement, evaluate the extent and benefits of their participation, determine satisfaction with cooperative implementation, assess the impact on key rural development indicators, and identify challenges hindering full engagement in cooperatives. A multi-stage sampling method was adopted to select 120 women involved in agricultural cooperatives. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed with SPSS version 23, applying descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that the majority of respondents (54.2%) were aged 20-29 years, 76.3% were female, and 51.7% had completed primary education. Most were married, had small household sizes (1-5 persons), and had 1-5 years of farming and cooperative experience. A significant portion relied on family farmland. The study found a generally high level of cooperative participation, with women reporting improvements in income, access to financial resources, inputs, and markets. Respondents expressed satisfaction with cooperative support, decision-making opportunities. and resource availability. However, low satisfaction was recorded in areas such as leadership effectiveness, communication, and relevance of training programs. The cooperative's imolvement positively influenced rural development by enhancing women's economic well-being, income levels, environmental awareness, social cohesion, and community engagement. Despite these benefits, challenges persisted-chief among them being limited access to loans. insuficient capital, poor financial management skills, lack of training opporturities, ana inadequate support from male counterparts. The study concludes that while agricultural cooperatives have significant potential to empower rural women and stimulate local development, addressing these persistent barriers is crucial for maximizing their impact.