INFLUENCE OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS ON WOMEN INVOLVEMENT IN INCOME GENERATING AGRIBUSINESS PROJECTS IN MUNUKI PAYAM, JUBA COUNTY IN SOUTH SUDAN
Diko Amariah - Master’s in Project Planning and Management, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Dr. Lily C. Murei - University of Nairobi, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The share of female-headed families in Sub-Saharan Africa is rapidly growing, making women’s income-generating activities an increasingly relevant topic of research. Women’s customary occupations are enhanced with the duty of being the breadwinner as they transit into the role of head-of-household, and their success becomes intimately related to the well-being of the entire household. The women engagement in income-generating agribusiness projects, on the other hand, is determined by a variety of factors that comprise of demographic factors, economic considerations, social factors, and skills and knowledge factors. The study’s goal was to determine the influence of socio-economic factors on women involvement in income generating agribusiness projects in Munuki Payam, Juba County in South Sudan. The study specifically sought to identify the extent to which demographic, economic, social, and skills and knowledge factors influence women’s involvement in income generating agribusiness projects in Munuki Payam, Juba County, South Sudan. The descriptive survey research design was used in this research study. This research focused on ten income generating agribusiness project groups in Munuki Payam, Juba County. The 447 respondents, comprising 10 chairpersons and 427 female members, 3 government officials, and 7 field researchers, constituted the unit of analysis. The stratified proportionate random sampling approach was used to select a sample size of 109. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Piloting of research instruments was done on two questionnaires, in order to test on the viability of the instrument which the questionnaire included open-ended and closed-ended questions. The interview schedule was used to acquire qualitative data. Analysis was utilized descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean score, and standard deviation for all quantitative variables. The results from the quantitative data were presented on tables. Thematic analysis was used to assess the qualitative data from the open-ended questions, which were then presented in narrative style. The research found that majority of the women in the project are not widowed and the bread winners of their families, and involvement in the projects required academic qualifications. The study also found that social factors influence the women involvement in income generating agribusiness projects in Munuki Payam, Juba County in South Sudan to a moderate extent. The study found that entrepreneurial skills have been paramount in the generating income for the women, the women’s households have become better with the women gaining entrepreneurial skills, the women are able to account for their finances, and the women are mainly affected by low financial literacy due to lack of schooling. The study concluded that economic factors had the greatest influence on women involvement in income generating agribusiness projects in Munuki Payam, Juba County in South Sudan, followed by social factors, then demographic factors while skills and knowledge factors had the least influence on women involvement in income generating agribusiness projects in Munuki Payam, Juba County in South Sudan. The study recommends that the community should be taught the importance of appreciating the need for equal opportunity for all and especially women to participate in income generating agribusiness projects. The study also recommended that the women be taught on the benefits of management and financial skills.