SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF RURAL WOMEN INVOLVEMENT IN FARMING ACTIVITIES IN IKERE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EKITI STATE
Abstract
This study was undertaken to examine the socio-economic determinants of rural women
involvement in farming activities in Ikere Local Government area of Ekiti State. A multi-stage
random sampling technique was employed to select 105 rural women farmers for the study. The
data in this study were gathered primarily which involves the use of a questionnaire and interview
schedule for the rural women farmers. The data were analyzed through the use of descriptive
statistics, multiple regression model, PPMC and Chi Square. The results showed that 55.2% were
within ages 45-59years with the mean age of 55 years. The highest level of education attained by
the women is primary education (41.9%). Majority (75.2%) of the respondents were married.
51.4% of the women farmers had farming experience that ranged from below 15years. Majority
(96.2%) of the rural women were into planting of crops, followed by threshing (84.8%), harvesting
(67.6%), Transplanting (56.2%), Weeding (50.5%) while land clearing (44.8%) and Tilling
(42.9%) were least practiced by women. The most severe constraint to women participation in
farming Activities was lack of farmland (Mean Score = 2.60.). The result shows that three of the
variables were found to be significant and to explained about 20% of the observed variations in
the level of participation of women in farmer activities. Household size (t =2.847) and farm size (t
=3.909) were both significant at 1%probability level while farming experience (t = 0.096) was
significant at 5% probability level. It could be concluded that rural women were active in farming
activities mostly in planting, weeding and harvesting. It also identified the age, marital status,
household size, primary occupation, educational level and farm size were the socio-economic
factors that encouraged the rural women to be involved in active farming activities. It is therefore
recommended that government and non-governmental organization should make access to
finances by the rural women and market for their agricultural produce available
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