CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background Of The Study

Agriculture is one of the factors that can contribute to reducing global poverty and to achieve the millennium Development Goal(MDGs). The millennium   Development Goals   came up in 2000 and was to be achieved by 2015 with the first goal emphasizing on poverty reduction. This can be achieved through   agriculture because, most developed countries that live in poverty have agriculture as a main source of livelihood. Women have been identified as the backbone of agriculture in the developing world but their role has barely been recognized. There is a mass of evidence that improving women’s agricultural productivity has benefit millions through higher incomes, more plentiful and cheap food for both rural and urban areas (FAO 2011). more importantly, agriculture has provided the spur to economic development outside agriculture, in economic growth and job creation. Increased agricultural productivity has allowed poor countries to make the initial step onto prosperity and development.

However, agriculture is still neglected   in many countries, and women form 70%   of involvement   in agricultural   activities   particularly in   the   rural areas (FAO 2011, and World Bank 2011).  Despite    the role women play in agriculture, they face constraints in the agricultural sectors which include shortage of land, water.

Furthermore, factors such as globalization, climate change, inequitable global trading system, depressed commodity prices and HIV and AIDs create a difficult setting for agricultural development, particularly for small farmers which are mostly women. All these factors reduce women’s agricultural productivity. A study was done by SOFA Team 2012, which reveals that women comprise about 43% of the agricultural labour force globally particularly in developing countries. The study further revealed that women’s role in agriculture   was intense in   weeding and harvesting. Also, in the rural areas women have triple roles which include higher proportion of unpaid household responsibilities related to preparing   food and collecting   fuel   and water. (F.A.O, 2011). The FAO emphases the closure of gender   gap for development between  men and  women, their  role  in agriculture  also to address  the  constraints or difficulties women  faced in agriculture.

Growth in Africa and in the third world as a whole depends on Agriculture. Agriculture   according to the World Bank 2005 estimates,70% of the economically active population in Africa are involved in agriculture. An estimated 2.5 billion of the 3 billion economically active rural populations in Africa are involved in agriculture. About 1.5 billion of them live in small holder’s household. The World Bank (2005), report further states that women produce 70 to 80% of all foods in Africa South of the Sahara.  Despite the contribution of women in agriculture, women’s role in agriculture is still undermined in developing countries due to cultural norms. In Sub-Saharan Africa women contribute 70 to 90% of agricultural labour in Africa, but there is diversity in women roles(Momsen,1990;Mehra Rojas,2008).

As an African country, agriculture is also the main source of livelihood   and employment in Cameroon.  Agriculture alone consist of 70% of the labour force in Cameroon while the other sectors like industries and services have 13% and 17% respectively, (MINAGRI,2006). Despite the reduction in its relatively importance since independence, the rural sector remains the highest sector contributor to the economy in Cameroon. Agriculture according to estimate of MINAGRI (2006) contribute 45% of the total G.D.P (Gross Domestic Product) in Cameroon Besides the provisions  of   foods  for  the  ever expanding  population  with a  rising  purchasing  power , agriculture  contribute  in 3 main  ways to the economic  growth of the country ; foreign aid, foreign commercial  investment  and domestic  savings. These are the three ways in which agriculture contribute to the economy of Cameroon.

1.2. Statement of The Problem

Agriculture is one of the factors that contribute to reducing global poverty and to achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG). And it has been identified that women contribute greatly to agriculture but their roles have barely been recognized; therefore, this study seeks to find out the contribution of women   in agriculture in Mbengwi central.

1.3. Objectives of the study

1.3.1. General   objectives

The main objective of this study is to determine the contribution of women in agriculture in Mbengwi central

  1.3.2 Specific   Objectives

1. To examine the contribution of women of Mbengwi central to agriculture.
2. To identify the constraints Mbengwi women face in agriculture.
3. To discuss the women coping strategies to agriculture.
4. To examine how Mbengwi women help in poverty alleviation.
5. To examine the demographical characteristics of women involved in agriculture in Mbengwi central.