Comparative Assessment of Women Farmers’ Status in Japan and Nigeria

Abstract

The research compared the status of Japanese and Nigerian women farmers. The study was conducted in Sera Chuo, Hiroshima and Ohnan Chuo, Shimane prefecture, Chugoku region of Japan and Southwestern part of Nigeria covering three locations (Omi-Adio, Ijaye and Kila) within the suburban area of Ibadan metropolis. Purposive sampling was used to select direct farmers market (DFM) while random sampling was employed to select respondents from each market. Total sample size of 234 was obtained and data collection was done through structured questionnaires. The result revealed that both women farmers were into agriculture through marriage and they were both marginalized in terms of land resources. Japanese women farmers were not participating in the marketing of agricultural products in the past. DFM is being operated as indoor type in Japan while opposite is the case in Nigeria. More than half of Japanese sell their vegetable, rice cake, rice bread and cookies in DFM but only few sell rice in the same market. In contrary, most of the Nigeria women farmers produce were marketed in DFM. Both women were empowered in all indicators but Nigerian women were more empowered than Japanese except on mobility. However, autonomy of decision making regarding borrowing or lending remains low. Both women farmers judged their present status to improve compared to the past.