Provision of Women Farm Labour in Wurno, Sokoto State

The Palgrave Handbook of African Women's Studies

Agriculture remains one of the most important livelihood options for women across Africa, yet there are multiple challenges which include lack of access to land and productive assets, credit, and markets. In this chapter, we use a systematic review of the literature to analyze how women intersect and participate in the agriculture space in Africa. The chapter draws from multiple studies on women in agriculture across Africa and focuses on important thematic areas including land access, labor, agricultural policy, decision-making, livestock, and horticulture. Throughout the analysis, it is clear that women are largely marginalized and excluded from the lucrative parts of the agricultural value chain. Agriculture is thus largely constructed as a patriarchal system in which women play subordinate roles. Such a state of affairs poses serious challenges given that the vast majority

World Development, 1995

Available reports indicate a shift in conventional gender roles in agricultural labor among the Igbo of Nigeria. This study shows that the participation of Igbo men in nonfarm activities and waged employment has resulted in an increased workload for women in food crop production as well as a breakdown of the gender division of labor in agriculture. Igbo women now undertake some of the conventional male agricultural tasks in addition to those in the female domain. In spite of this, women experience greater constraints in access to production resources. These issues should be addressed by appropriate policy measures.

RuSAN 26th Annual Congress Proceedings, 2017

The study assessed the involvement of women in crop production as an additional means of livelihood. Women's participation in crop production in agriculture has been gaining recognition in recent times. One hundred women were purposively selected for this study. The Local Government Area has eleven wards, four wards were purposively selected due to high concentration of women farmers in the areas. Structured questionnaires were administered to 25 women from each of the wards. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The results showed that majority (63%) were within 25-40 years, those married are (71%), major occupation (53%), highest formal education was primary school (14%) while majority (73%) had Quranic education. The results revealed that the women were involved in land preparation, harvesting, weeding and processing. The results showed that about 71% cultivate maize, sorghum 66%, cowpea 53%, millet 30% and vegetables. Mixed cropping is being practiced by only 36% while 64% plant sole crop. The results further showed that 65% had ≤1ha of land and about 55% got land through inheritance. Majority (85%) use family labour. Personal savings (59%) was the women's source of income. The results of regression analysis showed that marital status and household size were negative but significantly influenced the women's involvement in crop production at 1%, education was negative but significant at 10%. Age was positively significant at 1%. The results further showed that inadequate funds, lack of awareness, lack of market, labour and religious barriers were the women's constraints in crop production. It was recommended that there is need of having women for extension service to serve more women.

Despite rural women's immense contribution to agriculture and food security in Imo State, they still face the challenge of lack of access to and control over productive resources. Productive resources such as Land, labour and capital are the bedrock of agricultural production. Land Inheritance right in rural areas generally favours men over women (Mutangadura, 2014). Women rarely own land in rural areas and when they do; it is only small holding plots, which they do not have control over (Afolabi, 2008). As a result, they have limitation over the choice of crop portfolio, investment on input because they lack tenure security that provides motivation and certification for such long term investments. Thus, these lacks inhibit their productive capacity and affect their livelihood. There is need to expand, reform and democratize access to productive resources in rural areas so that rural women can access them without hindrances. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations opines that if women had the same access to productive resources as men, they will be more likely to increase yields on their farms by 20-30 percent (FOA,2007).

The purpose of this chapter is to provide an analytical framework for evaluating the role of women's involvement in agriculture in the formulation of food policy. The question of women in agriculture is not a separate issue but is integral to all discussions relating to food policy. In this presentation, however, I am attempting to focus on some of the crucial issues relating to women and agriculture and to organize them into a conceptual framework for understanding their role in various production systems. The chapter looks at women in agriculture both as producers and as consumers. In this connection, two general concepts will be referred to frequently: (1) efficiency (in production) and (2) equity (which concerns production and income distribution, as well as consumption). While both of these are important issues everywhere, we shall see that in various parts of the world greater stress must be given to one than to the other.

Policy Research Working Papers, 2015

The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly, even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/World Bank and its affiliated organizations, or those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the governments they represent.

Asia-Pacific journal of rural development, 2007

This study examines the gender role in the Jann sector of Nasarawa State. Double-stage random sampling techniques were used to select a sample of 90 Jann households during the cropping season of 2005. Primary data were obtained through the use of interview schedules administered to Jann families. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, ordinary least squares regression model, productivity model and logit regression model. It was observed that women had extensive work loads of 13 hours/day and lower labour productivity compared to the men. The women seem to have lower rate of involvement in Jann decisions (42.8%) and less accessible to Jann resources (11.5%).

Rural Development - Contemporary Issues and Practices, 2012

Rural Development-Contemporary Issues and Practices 140 role of women in agricultural and rural development can therefore not be overemphasized when considering rural and national development of Nigeria. Rural Development will therefore take place when attention is paid to various relevant institutions such as the cooperative societies, land tenure system, bank and credits, development of viable local government areas, educational institutions, medical institutions, and agricultural marketing outlets. Nigerian women in agricultural activities Rural development is the mainstay of agriculture and agricultural development in developing countries (including Nigeria) therefore all efforts geared towards agricultural development will be fruitless without it. Women in Africa (including Nigeria)generally play an important role in small-scale traditional agricultural production (Afolabi,2008) Rural women have taken over the production and processing of arable crops and are responsible for as much as 80% of the staple food items. Estimates of women's contribution to the production of food crops range from 30% in the Sudan to 80% in the Congo contributing substantially to national agricultural production and food security (OECD,1992). Most farmers in Nigeria operate on the subsistence and smallholder level in an extensive agricultural system; therefore, in the country's food security lie in their hands. Women farmers are the principal labour force on small holder farms and perform the largest share in land preparation, weeding, transporting, processing and marketing of agricultural products. Women therefore contribute greatly to agricultural production in Nigeria as take the lead in most agricultural activities They make up to 60-80 percent of the labour force. Therefore the significant role they play in meeting the challenges of agricultural production and development are quite dominant and prominent. OECD,1992). The importance and relevance of women in agricultural development can therefore not be overemphasized This is because they are known to be more involved in agricultural activities than men in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries including Nigeria.

Journal of Agriculture and Food Sciences, 2015

Women in Nigeria form a significant part of the population and are practically involved in agricultural activities. Based on the involvement of women in agriculture and in the rural economies of Nigeria, this study evaluates the contribution of women to food crop production. This is to establish knowledge about what farm inputs these women use in agriculture and how they combine these resources available to them in food production process as regards their efficiency. Four-staged sampling was conducted to survey a sample of 120 farmers (men and women) with the aid of an interview schedule. The data collected were for the 2009/2010 cropping season and analyzed with descriptive tools and stochastic production frontier. The result established that a high level of technical inefficiency exists among the sampled farmers. Age, household size and sex were found to be significant (p < 0.05) determinants of technical inefficiency that exists between the sampled farmers. To achieve efficiency in production among women farmers, it was recommended that inputs required, especially land, modern farm implement, accessible capital and extension services should be made available. The women should also be taught the better use of farm inputs to achieve efficiency in food crop production.