[b] Fighting Hunger Together: A Case of Women Farmers’ Participation in Women Groups in Mwala Division, Kenya[/b]

Abstract

 Food security remains a major challenge for most rural households in Kenya especially those in arid and semi arid areas. Women play a crucial role as primary food producers and custodians of household food security. They however face many constraints in their endeavor to secure food for their households. Women, lack access to extension education, land and credit and these challenges are exacerbated by effects of climatic variability, especially drought. In response to the difficulties facing them, women in Mwala have formed organizations (women groups) as safety-nets to help them face these challenges collectively rather than as individuals. This study research was designed to investigate how women’s participation in the groups influences them to overcome constraints related to their household food security. The study used a cross sectional survey design. A sample of 156 respondents was selected through simple random sampling, with 94 women farmers being group members and 62 non group members. Ten key informants were purposively sampled from group leaders of the most active women groups influenced in agricultural activities to participate in a focus group discussion. The data was analysed using SPSS package version 17 and presented using frequencies, percentages, multiple regression, and Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient. The study revealed that household food security is significantly and positively influenced by participation of women farmers in women groups (F = 9.980, p < 0.001), that the level of intensity of participation in group activities did not significantly influence household food security (x2 =.112) and that linking with outside agencies was positively and significantly correlated to group performance measured in terms of benefits availed to the members through their groups.

Authors and Affiliations

Rebecca Njoki Karaya, Christopher Assa Onyango, David Mulama Amudavi

Keywords

Related Articles

[b]Analysis of Farms Performance Using Different Sources of Irrigation Water: A Case Study in a Semi-Arid Area[/b]

Improving production efficiency is the main objective of government action to avoid efficiency losses and to increase the income of farmers. The aim of this study was to analyze performance levels of farms...

Forecasting Iran’s rice imports trend during 2009-2013

In the present study Iran's rice imports trend is forecasted, using artificial neural networks and econometric methods, during 2009 to 2013, and their results are compared. The results showed that feet forward neural net...

[b]Analysis of Effective Components of Educational Transformation in Agricultural Higher Education System in Iran[/b]

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effective components of educational transformation in agricultural higher education system in Iran by a mixed study method. The statistical population includ...

[b] Factors Influencing the Use of and Attitude of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Agricultural Extension, a Study in the Isfahan Province of Iran[/b]

 Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly influencing human beings and are changing our attitudes towards these technologies. The purpose of this article is to understand the factors inf...

[b] Human Resource Development:AModel forAgricultural Faculty Members in Iran[/b]

 Nowadays, there is an agreement among organizations that reinforcing of education leads to the improvement of organizational performance. The emphasis on the human capital in organizations reflects t...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP126129
  • DOI -
  • Views 116
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Rebecca Njoki Karaya, Christopher Assa Onyango, David Mulama Amudavi (2013). [b] Fighting Hunger Together: A Case of Women Farmers’ Participation in Women Groups in Mwala Division, Kenya[/b]. International Journal of Agricultural Management and Development, 3(3), 189-200. https://europub.co.uk/articles/-A-126129