Assessment Of Factors Influencing Women Participation In Off-Farm Income Generating Activities In Mkuranga District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study presents findings on the assessment of factors influencing women participation in off-farm income generating activities Income Generating Activities in Mkuranga district, Coast region. The overall objective of the study was to assess factors influencing women participation in off-farm income generating activities in the study area. The specific objectives were: To identify types of off -farm income generating activities undertaken by women in the study area, to identify socio-economic factors influencing women‟s participation in off-farm income generating activities, to determine contribution of women‟s off-farm income generating activities to the household income and lastly to determine factors affecting performance of women‟s off-farm income generating activities. The study adopted cross-sectional research design where a structured questionnaire with close and open ended questions and a checklist was used to collect primary information from a sample size of 120 respondents. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies and percentage were computed. Findings from the study showed that the most Income Generating Activities undertaken by women in the study area is food vending others were selling of vegetables and fruits, fried fish, snacks, used clothes, cold drinks, shoes, mobile phone voucher, tailoring activities and hair dressing saloon. In this study, socio-economic characteristics of respondents examined were age, number of individuals in the household, level of education, marital status, and major source of income and land ownership these factors compelled women to engage in off-farm Income Generating Activities. The study furthermore identified that un-conducive business premises to be the major constraints for development of Income Generating Activities undertaken by women in Mkuranga district.