ASSESSING THE GENDER GAPS IN EXTENSION DELIVERY SERVICES IN EBONYI STATE NIGERIA ASSESSING THE GENDER GAPS IN EXTENSION DELIVERY SERVICES IN EBONYI STATE NIGERIA

Abstract

This study assessed gender gaps in extension delivery services in Ebonyi State Nigeria, based on the following objectives: describe the socio-economic characteristics of the extension agents in the study area, assess gender involvement in extension delivery services, and determine factors affecting the respondents’ access to extension delivery services. Primary data were collected from 120 (60 males and 60 females) randomly selected extension agents in Ebonyi State, using a structured interview schedule. Qualitative and quantitative statistical tools were employed for data analyses. The major findings were that both genders were well-educated with the female extension workers having a higher percentage. The findings further showed that female extension workers were more involved in extension services delivery, such as training, farmers meetings, MTRM, FNT, and monitoring and evaluation, while their male counterparts were more involved in enumeration work. The result of the organizational factors affecting extension workers in extension services delivery showed that the male extension workers were affected by eleven out of fourteen factors in delivering their extension services with a mean score of (????̅=2.38 ) The study further concluded that the socioeconomic profile such as marital status, distance from office to field, working experience and age had a lot of bearing on their involvement in extension services delivery. The study therefore, called for policies aimed at giving gender-equitable services, motivating extension agents, and increasing the proportion of women extension officers using quota to have an adequate number of female extension workers to effectively attend to female farmers/clients in Nigeria and fill the existing gender gaps in extension services delivery in ADPs.