An assessment of factors affecting Women's participation in income generation activities in Chongwe District

Abstract

This paper analyses factors affecting women participation in income generating activities in Chongwe. The factors affecting women participation in income generating activities can be examined using the probit model regression. Household size showed a negative and statistically significant relation implying less work outside the home by farm wives as the size of the farm household increases. Distance to the nearest off-farm was statistically significant and had a positive sign. This means that as distance to the nearest off-farm IGA increases, the probability that women will participate increases at a decreasing rate. Income earned by women is positively statistically significant. However, the coefficient is too small but this reveals that as income of the women increases, there is a likelihood that women participation will also increase. Both husband education and that for the women are statistically significant. The positive sign on the coefficient of women education shows that as the education level of women increases, there is a likelihood that their participation will also increase. Land ownership shows a negative correlation between women and their participation.

These findings show that female members of farm households are likely to participate in IGAs if their education is improved. Women should also be encouraged to own land as this showed that land play a role in the decision of females to participate. There should also be an investment in infrastructure that can facilitate women's mobility outside the household as well as can reduce the burden of domestic work. Such infrastructure should include feeder roads which may make it easier for the females to reach and market their produce.