Technologies Available for Empowering Women in Cassava Production in Abia States, Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed the technologies available for empowering women in cassava production in Abia State. The objectives were to determine the availability and utilization of technologies for empowering women in cassava production. Questionnaire was the instrument for data collection which was developed on a 4-point measuring scale and was validated by peer review of researchers in agricultural extension. Reliability was established by the Cronbach’s alpha which gave co-efficient of r ∝ = 0.74 indicating a high reliability. Multi-stage random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 240 and the extension filed officers were used as research assistants to facilitate the administration and retrieval of the questionnaire. Data analysis was achieved with the use of descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean which referenced x = 2.50 as the benchmark and inferential statistics as t-test at 0.050 level of significance. The findings revealed that majority (x = 2.56) agreed that technologies were available for empowering women in cassava production while (x = 2.03) indicated that the extent women were empowered utilizing technologies for cassava production was low. The t- test of no mean significant difference was not rejected because t = 0.01 at P ≥ 0.05 which indicated no mean difference between availability and utilization of technologies for empowering women cassava producers. On the basis of the findings the study recommended that more extension field personnel should be employed and retrained on how to train women on how to use the technologies.

Keywords: women, empowerment, cassava, production