Eradicating Poverty among Women in Rural Agriculture: Imperative for National Development

The agricultural sector in Nigeria is an area where gender inequity, leading to women subjugation and exploitation, is very evident. In spite of the enormity of the roles played by women in various agricultural production activities, the sector is still largely regarded as a man’s world. Statistics, however, have shown that rural women, more than their male counterparts, are involved in agriculture, constituting up to 60-80 percent of the labour force. It is therefore, ironical that their contributions to agriculture and rural development are seldom noticed or rewarded. This paper investigated the relationship between gender inequality in agriculture and impoverishment of rural women and its implication for national development. Beyond identifying the causes of gender inequity, it made context-specific recommendations towards its eradication.