Women in agriculture suffer several constraints that negatively impact their livelihood. Some of the problems stem from human activities and social constructs that negatively impact the environment. These activities are mainly related to crude oil refining. The study explored constraints to livelihood sustainability among Women Farmers and Fishers in the Niger Delta region. 22 Local Government Areas across 5 States in two ecological regions were selected as the study area. 2 communities from every Local Government Area were then randomly selected. Thereafter, 400 women from various households were randomly chosen from the 44 communities. A cross-sectional research survey was carried out with the help of semi-structured interview schedules and Focus Group Discussions. The study revealed that while women fishers face difficulties such as sexual assault, oil pollution, floods, unfavourable weather conditions, etc., farmers are confronted with problems such as floods, crop theft, soil infertility, floods, and frequent and intense rainfall. Fishers and farmers also face cultural restrictions, problems from weak formal institutions such as poor extension services and cooperative membership, insecurities, and poor credit access. These problems reduce the financial capacity of the women and their ability to withstand vulnerabilities and maintain a sustainable livelihood in farming and fishing
Keywords: Sustainability, Livelihood, Women Farmers, Women Fishers, Niger Delta
Manuscript submitted to Journal of Rural Studies| This paper was partly made possible by a Carnegie Corporation of New York grant. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author. Furthermore, the author gratefully acknowledges the support from the Future Africa Research Leader Fellowship (FAR-LeaF) Programme at the University of Pretoria.
Comments