Women Participation in Cotton Farming in Simiyu Region, Tanzania: Undefined Paradoxical Praxis

Volume 1 - Issue 3

Chami Avit A*

Received: February 21, 2018;   Published: March 12, 2018

DOI: 10.32474/CIACR.2018.01.000114

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Abstract

Cotton stands as one of the key cash crops in the Tanzanian economy and the second largest agricultural export product with over 70%-80% of it being exported. Despite the widely known merits, significances and challenges of integrating gender equality and equity in economic activities, less remains to be known on actual defined participation and contribution of women in cotton farming in Simiyu region, Tanzania. This paper attempted to reveal the existing paradoxical praxis in the course of establishing women contribution in cotton farming in Simiyu region. Specifically, this paper sought to: (a) assess the level of women participation in cotton farming in Simiyu region (b) examine factors affecting women participation in cotton farming in Simiyu region (c) assess the perceived role of women participation in the cotton farming in Simiyu region. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was employed. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a total of 120 respondent households from the selected villages from region’s districts namely, Maswa, Meatu, Bariadi, Busega and Itilima. Data were collected using pre-tested and pilot-tested questionnaires, focus group discussions and interviews. Ms-Excel and SPSS 20.0 computer software were used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics were employed to reveal various parameters in the study. The study findings revealed low level of women participation in cotton farming (23.3%) compared to the revealed level of male (76.7%) of the total households involved in the questionnaire survey; suggesting the presence of less number of women who owns lands in the study area. The revealed paradoxical praxis in the study area entails the fact that women who don’t stand as households heads don’t own piece of land and the whole process of cotton farming.

The study findings imply high prevalence of patriarchy kinship in the study area, since the high number households’ heads were male. The study findings revealed community attitude and relationships as the main social factors affecting women participation in cotton farming in Simiyu region while financial resources and infrastructures were the revealed economic factors and the revealed main institutional factors affecting women participation in cotton farming were farming technologies and management ability. Based on the study findings it was plausible to conclude low level of women participation in cotton farming in Simiyu region despite numerous undefined paradoxical praxis prevailing in the women involvement in cotton farming including the fact that women are mostly involved in the cotton farming with little recognition as the cotton plots ownership belongs to men who are the heads of the households. Also, the study concludes that social, economic and institutional as the factors affecting women participation in cotton farming in Simiyu region. The study findings further concluded three main perceived roles of women participation in cotton farming, namely offering steady workforce, influence women empowerment and earning income for enhanced women livelihoods in the area. Finally, the study recommended the need of awareness raising strategies to advocate for the usefulness of women participation and involvement in the cotton farming and other economic activities in the study area. However, deliberate gender empowerment interventions are needed in the area to improve farming technologies, farming and market infrastructures to encourage more women to effectively participate in cotton farming in the study area.

Keywords: Women Participation; Cotton Farming; Paradoxical Praxis;

Abstract| Introduction| Results and Discussions| Recommendations| Acknowledgment| References|