Gender Issues in Gaps of Household Labour Supplied to Farms and Labour Market in Rural Abia State, Nigeria

Abstract

Differentials between sexes in supply of labour to farms and to other employments in rural areas were examined along some key issues in own farm(s) of farm households using data collected over time from a panel of ninety-six (96) farm households in Abia State, Nigeria. Household labour was supplied to farms and to non-farm sectors within the rural labour market cutting across enterprises and sectors of employments with observable gaps in gender activities. Male members of the farm households supplied labour to their farms at a rate higher than they did to their off-farm activities. Across the domains of labour use, the females supplied labour at a relatively higher rate (0.87) to their farms than males (0.86) to their off-farms. The inequalities in labour supplies by the gender to the farms and off-farms were informed by some socioeconomic variables such as love of leisure, age of the farm operators, their experiences on the jobs, number of dependants and size of their own farms. Peculiar determinants of off-farm supplies of labour were off-farm monthly income from jobs, and level of educational attainment of persons in the workforce group. These are critical variables that need to be considered when fashioning policies intended to inspire farm operators and members of their households to devoting their time and energy to farming activities in Abia state Nigeria.