Intra-Household Bargaining, Gender Consideration in Decision Making and Food Security Status of Farm Households in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Abstract

Women contribute significantly to food production in Nigeria, however, several research findings confirmed that they are often marginalized in the decision making process This study examines intra household bargaining, gender consideration in decision making process and food security among farming households in Abeokuta, Ogun state. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 240 farming households; with husbands and wives interviewed separately. The study examines the wife's bargaining power over 13 households and farming decisions. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics, Decision Making Index, and logit regression model. The result of the findings shows that the level of decision-making authority among wives varies significantly across households. The majority (57.5%) of the households were food insecure. Also, most of the men (84.2%) control the income from the sales of agricultural products and off-farm activities while the women (76.8%) took more decision regarding consumption and children‟s education. Besides, 63.33% of women have low bargaining power, while 26.25% have moderate bargaining power and 10.42% of the women have high bargaining power. The regression result shows that years of education of women (p<0.001), household size (p><0.01), access to credit (p><0.001), main occupation of the household head (p><0.001), membership of farmers' association of the household head (p<0.001), age of household head (p<0.001), age differential between spouse (p<0.005), household income of household head (p<0.001), proportion of women's income in household total income (p><0.005), women bargaining power (p><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure.><0.001), household size (p<0.01), access to credit (p><0.001), main occupation of the household head (p><0.001), membership of farmers' association of the household head (p<0.001), age of household head (p<0.001), age differential between spouse (p<0.005), household income of household head (p<0.001), proportion of women's income in household total income (p><0.005), women bargaining power (p><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure. ><0.01), access to credit (p<0.001), main occupation of the household head (p><0.001), membership of farmers' association of the household head (p<0.001), age of household head (p<0.001), age differential between spouse (p<0.005), household income of household head (p<0.001), proportion of women's income in household total income (p><0.005), women bargaining power (p><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure.><0.001), main occupation of the household head (p<0.001), membership of farmers' association of the household head (p<0.001), age of household head (p<0.001), age differential between spouse (p<0.005), household income of household head (p<0.001), proportion of women's income in household total income (p><0.005), women bargaining power (p><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure.><0.001), membership of farmers' association of the household head (p<0.001), age of household head (p><0.001), age differential between spouse (p><0.005), household income of household head (p><0.001), proportion of <0.001), age of household head (p<0.001), age differential between spouse (p><0.005), household income of household head (p><0.001), proportion of <0.001), age differential between spouse (p<0.005), household income of household head (p><0.001), proportion of <0.05), household income of household head (p<0.001), proportion of <0.001), proportion of women's income in household total income (p<0.005), women bargaining power (p><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure. ><0.005), women bargaining power (p<0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure.><0.005) were significant factors influencing the food security status of the farming household in the study area. The study shows that there is a household gender-based decision which influences household food security. Households in which women did not participate in decisions making on income and food management were more vulnerable to household food insecurity because men were not concerned about household food requirements. The study affirms the roles of intra-household decision making on household food security. Therefore, gender-based resource allocation and women empowerment policies should be encouraged to ensure that households are food secure.