WOMEN IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

Women's contributions to agricultural production are fundamental to achieving food security and economic development, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, their productivity is often constrained by a range of socio-economic and institutional barriers. Hence, this study aimed at assessing the roles of women in agricultural production in Ovia North-East Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria, with a specific focus on their socio-economic characteristics, types of agricultural activities, participation levels, and challenges faced. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 120 women farmers from four communities (Okada, Iguobazuwa, Uhen, and Oduna), of which 110 questionnaires were properly completed and analyzed. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple line arregression analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of respondents were married(53.6%),within the active age range of 31-40 years (mean age: 36 years), and had secondary education (40.9%). Most women (46.4%) combined farming with trading as their primary occupation, with an average farming experience of 9 years and a household size of 5 persons. Crop farming was the predominant activity (77.3%), with maize (47.3%) and vegetables (45.5%) being the most cultivated crops. Women demonstrated substantial participation across the agricultural value chain, with 70% involved in planting activities and an average of 4 hours spent daily on farm operations. The majority (56.4%) exhibited moderate participation levels, while 81.8% engaged in marketing their produce, and 59% maintained autonomous decision-making authorityovertheiragriculturalenterprises. However, severe constraints were identified, including lack of access to credit (mean = 3.25), genderdiscrimination (mean = 3.23), inadequatemechanized tools(mean =2.81), high labour costs (mean = 2.74), and poor transportation and storage facilities (mean = 2.65). Statistical analysesrevealedsignificantrelationshipsbetweenparticipationlevelsandkey variables:land ownership(χ²=11.106,p=0.085),age(r=0.241,p=0.011),farmexperience(r=0.264,p= 0.005), household size (r = 0.212, p = 0.026), and income (r = 0.314, p = 0.001). Regression analysis indicated that income was the most significant predictor of participation level (β = 0.037, p = 0.001), explaining 19.3% of the variance. Additionally, significant associations were found between participation levels and engagement in crop farming (χ² = 13.447, p = 0.001) and livestock rearing (χ² = 66.403, p = 0.041). The study concludes that women play critical roles in agriculture but face significant constraints. To enhance their productivity and empowerment, the study recommends policy interventions focused on improving access to affordable credit, promoting labour-saving technologies, strengthening women's land rights, and providing gender-sensitive extension services to bridge the existing gaps in knowledge and resource access.