WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY AND MARKET PARTICIPATION: A STUDY OF SMALLHOLDER RICE FARMERS IN KILOMBERO DISTRICT, TANZANIA
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Date
2019-09-06
Authors
Achandi, Esther Leah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
This study examines women empowerment, technical efficiency and market participation by
smallholder rice farmers in Kilombero using the Women Empowerment in Agriculture Index
(WEAI). For the study site, the overall WEAI is estimated at 0.54 and the determinants of
women empowerment for female headed households are; age of the household head, education
level, group membership, condition of dwelling and distance from the nearest major town, all of
which have a positive association with women empowerment while monthly income has a
negative association. For the male headed households, age of the husband and number of male
children both have an association with women empowerment. The study also analyzes technical
efficiency of production using the stochastic frontier analysis. Findings indicate mean technical
efficiency scores of 0.50 and 0.66 for female and male headed households respectively.The
factors that affect technical efficiency are empowerment of the women; gender, primary
occupation, group membership and education level of household head and, fertilizer use in
production. In examining market participation, a double hurdle model is used with findings
indicating that being a male household head, group membership of household head, hiring
labour, empowerment of the woman and ownership of modern equipment have a positive effect
on the decision while, irrigation and customary land ownership have a negative effect on the
decision to market. Plot size, education, age squared, ownership of modern equipment have a
positive effect on quantity marketed while age has a negative effect on quantity marketed.