Occupational Diversification Among Rural Women in Anambra State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The survey was undertaken to examine occupational diversification among rural women in Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study identified various areas of occupational diversification among rural women; ascertained reasons for occupational diversification; ascertained modes of occupational entry for each occupational area; ascertained the influence of human capital attributes on occupational diversification; and identified problems faced by rural women in occupational diversification. Three hypotheses were proposed and tested, namely; there is no significant relationship between socio-economic factors and occupational diversification among rural women; there are no significant differences between farm income and non-farm income of rural women; there is no significant relationship between occupational diversification and nearness to urban markets. The survey was carried out in Anambra State, Nigeria. The population of the study comprised rural women in the four agricultural zones. All the four agricultural zones were used for the study. Two blocks were selected from each of the zones, while three (3) circles were selected from each of the blocks using simple random sampling. In each of the circles, 20 rural women were selected using simple random sampling. Eight (8) blocks and 24 circles, comprising 480 respondents were used for the study. Interview schedule/questionnaire was used for data collection. Eighteen copies of the questionnaire were not filled properly and were dropped leaving 462 for analysis. Data were analysed using percentage, mean score, standard deviation, factor analysis, students’t-test, correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that majority of respondents (88.7%) were involved in both farm and non-farm occupations such as planting of crops, raising of farm animals, processing of farm produce, petty trading, tailoring, among others. The major reasons for occupational diversification were grouped into infrastructural, production, marketing and socio-economic factors. The study further revealed that the respondents were constrained by labour, institutional, technical and social problems. Despite the fact that non-farm activities yield high returns, farming still remains the primary 12 occupation of the respondents. The study recommends that government at both state and federal level should improve the efficiency and performance of the rural women in occupational diversification by ensuring that adequate rural infrastructure such as roads, electricity and pipe-borne water are put in place and highlights the need to establish vocational skill acquisition centres in rural areas in order to empower women with necessary skills to be gainfully employed in non-farm occupations for higher returns.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... i

CERTIFICATION... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 ii

DEDICATION... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... v

LIST OF TABLES... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... viii

LIST OF FIGURES... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 x

ABSTRACT... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background information... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 1

1.2 Problem statement ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 3

1.3 Purpose of the study ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ...

 6

1.4 Hypotheses of the study.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... 6

1.5 Significance of the study.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... 6

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Occupational diversification areas among rural women.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 8

2.2 Reasons for occupational diversification.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 21

2.3 Modes of occupational entry among rural women.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... 35

2.4 Human capital attributes influencing occupational diversification.. ... ... ... ...

... 40

2.5 Problems encountered by rural women in occupational diversification.. ... ... ...

... 45

2.6 Theories and models on occupational diversification.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 50

2.7 Conceptual framework.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 58

2.8 Summary of literature.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 60

6

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

3.1 Study area.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ...

 61

3.2 Population and sample.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 63

3.3 Data collection.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 64

3.4 Measurement of variables.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 65

3.5 Determination of objectives .... .... ..... .... ..... ..... ...... ...... .... ..... ... ... ...

67

3.6 Data analysis.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ...

69

3.7 Test of hypotheses ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

69

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 Socio-economic characteristics of respondents.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 71

4.2 Proportion of crops and livestock consumed by the respondents.. ... ... ... ... ..

 75

4.3 Primary and secondary occupations of respondents.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 75

4.4 Estimated income (N) from farm enterprises in 2010.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 77

4.5 Estimated income (N) from non-farm enterprises in 2010.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 82

4.6 Membership of organizations.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 87

4.7 Farm and non-farm extension contacts.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 88

4.8 Cosmopoliteness.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 89

4.9 Place of sale of farm and non-farm products.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 90

4.10 Distance to the nearest urban market (kilometres) .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 91

4.11 Commonest means of transportation to urban markets.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 92

4.12 Occupational diversification among rural women.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... 93

4.13 Regularity of occupations.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

... 95

4.14 Mean score of reasons for occupational diversification among rural women.. ...

... 96

4.15 Factor analysis of reasons for occupational diversification among rural women..

... 99

4.16 Modes of occupational entry among rural women.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 102

4.17 Number of months spent on training for occupations that had months of formal or nonformal training.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... 104

7

4.18 Sources of funds for occupations.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 104

4.19 Major sources of funds.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 106

4.20 Human capital attributes influencing occupational diversification.. ... ... ... ...

 107

4.21 Mean score of problems faced by rural women in occupational diversification.. ...

 108

4.22 Factor analysis of problems faced by rural women in occupational diversification.. 111

4.23 Perceived strategies for solving the problems encountered by the respondents in

occupational diversification.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 114

4.24 Test of hypotheses ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 115

4.25.1 Relationship between socio-economic factors and occupational diversification..

115

4.25.2 Differences between farm income and non-farm income.. ... ... ... ... ... ...

118

4.25.3 Relationship between occupational diversification and nearness to urban

markets.. 119

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Summary.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ..

 120

5.2 Conclusion.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ...

 122

5.3 Recommendations.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..

 123

5.4 Suggestions for further research.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

 124

REFERENCES.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ...

 125

APPENDIX.. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ...