Coping Mechanisms of Rural Women in Poverty Alleviation in Osun State in a Democratic and Deregulated Economy: Implications for Agricultural Extension as a Discipline

Abstract

The study focused its attention on some of the coping mechanisms of rural women in poverty alleviation in OsunState in a Democratic and Deregulated Economy Implications for Agricultural Extension as a discipline.Thepopulation of the study comprised of all the rural women in Osun State. Stratified Random Sampling Techniquewas used to select 360 respondents usedin the study Descriptive andInferential Statistics were used to analyse theresearch questions tmd to test the hypotheses stated respectively. It wasfound out among others that to cope witheconomic difficulties, majority of the rural women resorted to thrift and credit societies (esusu) 95percent, reducemeals (70.3 percent), selling ofassets (60.5percent), consumption ofunconventionalfoods (66.9percent) andlongperiod of breast feeding (80.3 percent). The chi-square (X2) analyses revealed that there were significantrelationships between their coping mechanisms and place of origin of the respondents (X2 = 10.95, P < 0.05),husband’s number of wives (X2 = 20.88, P < 0.05) T-test analysis also showed a significant difference betweenrural women ofdifferent socio-economic status and their coping mechanisms (t = 7.70, P < 0.05). It then impliesamong others that Agricultural Extension, as a discipline should be seen as a link of bringing into limelight thepredicaments of the rurcd women in Osun State. Development efforts should therefore focus on improving therural women’s productivity anddetermine alternative ways in which they can break out ofthepoverty cycle.