Analysis of Gender Participation in the Marketing and Processing Phases of the Cassava Value Chain in Nigeria

Abstract

The Nigerian cassava value chain shows different gender roles for men and women in marketing and processing activities. Women are typically found in the less profitable work and at the bottom of the value chain because of their position in the labor market. Considering this, this study analyzed gender participation in the marketing and processing phases of the cassava value chain. The study draws from the survey of 4 geopolitical zones in Nigeria conducted by IITA in 2010 that surveyed 952 respondents consisting of 221 women. The study analyzed the results using descriptive statistics like frequencies, mean, range, and standard deviation and inferential tools like t-test, chi-square, correlation, and multiple linear regression to test the hypotheses. We draw from the sustainable livelihood approach for the theoretical framework. The analysis indicates that more women are involved in the marketing phase than men, while more men are in the processing node than women. Additionally, producing cassava now, land allocated to cassava farming, level of education, marital status, and household size registered correlation with the index of participation in marketing. However, only household size registered a weak correlation with the index of participation in processing. Regarding participation in marketing, the results were statistically significant for both men and women. Similarly, the analysis shows a statistical significance for the index of participation in processing for both men and women.