ISHS Acta Horticulturae 380: Symposium on Tropical Root Crops in a Developping Economy
AN EVALUATION OF THE LEVEL OF FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN CASSAVA AND SWEET POTATO ON-FARM TRIALS AND DEMONSTRATIONS IN SIERRA LEONE |
| Author: | B. N. Lahai |
| Abstract:
The study evaluated the level of female participation in cassava and sweet potato on-farm trials and demonstrations (TADs) in two (Njala and Magbosi) of the six operational zones of the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR) in Sierra Leone, utilizing interviews with 34 women farmers. The study revealed that majority of the women knew the number of varieties in their previous year's TADs as well as the overall objective of the on-farm research. However, their knowledge about the specific objectives varied, with more women having full knowledge of them in Magbosi (52%) than in Njala zone (44.4%). Most of them also had no or partial knowledge about the names of the varieties in the TADs. The decision to cooperate in the on-farm research was the prerogative of the husband, who usually sought the concurrence of their wives. Women were, however, little involved in the final decision regarding trial location. Also, even though they contributed significantly to the labor for on-farm research, the focus of the extension instructors was on their husbands. The chi-square test revealed significant relationships between participation and age, educational status, and marriage type. Based on the results, a number of conclusions and recommendations are made. | |
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