WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES THROUGH LIVESTOCK REARING

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify and describe rural women's involvement in income generating activities through livestock rearing, as well as to analyze the contribution of selected characteristics of the women to their income generation activities. The study was conducted in Fulbaria Upazila under the Mymensingh District. Data were collected from the randomly selected 100 women respondents using an interview schedule. The independent variables were: age, level of education, family size, farm size, annual family income, credit received, experience, training exposure, extension contact, cosmopoliteness, while the dependent variable was women participation in livestock rearing. To test the stated hypotheses, Multiple Coefficient of Regression (β) was used and data were analyzed using SPSS v.23 to determine model significance. About half of the respondents (49%) were involved in livestock rearing at a medium level, followed by 40% at a low level, and only 11% at a high level. It indicates that the large majority of the women who responded (89%) had a medium to low level of participation in livestock rearing. Among eleven selected characteristics of the women five namely family size, credit availability, training received, extension contact, cosmopoliteness had positive significant and two namely education, farm size had negative significant contribution to their participation and the rest four characteristics namely, age, knowledge, farm experience, annual family income had no significant contribution to their participation in livestock rearing. Based on the findings, it is suggested that the relevant authorities, such as DLS, DAE, and NGOs, execute and promote women-based programs on a large scale in order to increase livestock rearing.