English

G Adekola

doi:10.5897/jdae12.048

Abstract

This study assessed gender discrimination in agricultural land access: Implications for food security in Ondo State Nigeria. Specifically, it analysed men and female accessibility to forms of land holding and the factors affecting agricultural land accessibility in the study area. Multistage sampling technique was used in selecting 240 respondents used for this study. Data collected were summarized using descriptive statistics such as frequency counts and percentages and correlation analysis was used to test the hypothesis stated. The resultsrevealed that the mean age of the male respndents was 48.3 while that of female was 43.7 with the standard deviation of 14.9 and 11.3, respectively. Also, at p ≤ 0.05, there was significant relationship between accessibility to agricultural land and male and female socio-economic characteristics such as age (r = 0.484), marital status (r = 0.568), farm size (r = 0.504), farming experience (r = 0.479), household (r = -0.668), access to credit facility (r = 0.476), and membership of social organization (r = 0.593). This study therefore concluded that gender differentials, especially with regards to land favour the males. It is therefore recommended that redesigning and redeveloping the structure of land policies to be more gender sensitive and inclusive. Key words: Gender, land acess, food security, correlation, discrimination.

Highlights

In a rapidly changing world, food and agricultural land holding systems in developing countries are facing new and increasingly complex challenges (Derman et al, 2007)
The findings revealed that majority (56.3 and 63.8%) of respondents were in their middle active ages, an indication that they will still be active to access land
About 84.5 percent of the female respondents viewed cultural belief as a factor that affects land holding while a few (38.8%) of the male respondents indicated that cultural belief is a factor that affects land holding among men in the study area

Summary

Introduction

In a rapidly changing world, food and agricultural land holding systems in developing countries are facing new and increasingly complex challenges (Derman et al, 2007). Land is the most valuable form of property in agrarian societies because of its economic, political symbolic and ritual importance (Bioye et al, 2006) It is the basis of political power and social status in most societies of the world. Land is used for production of biomass, ensuring food, fodder, renewable energy and raw materials for existence of human and animal life. It is a base for settlement and industrial use and a store of our cultural heritage and is a source of raw materials like minerals, clay, energy and water (Blum, 1998). Land stands for continuity of ownership since it is a burial ground where all clansmen are buried and a central place for the spirits of their ancestors for example in African countries

Methods

Results

Conclusion