@article{Rathnachandra:339819,
      recid = {339819},
      author = {Rathnachandra, S D D},
      title = {Empowerment of rural women farmers and food production in  Rathnapura district in Sri Lanka: a household level  analysis},
      journal = {APSTRACT: Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce},
      address = {2020-12},
      number = {1033-2024-244},
      year = {2020},
      abstract = {Women empowerment and gender equity are two significant  aspects of the sustainable development of a country. As Sri  Lanka is on the way towards sustainable development, this  study was conducted to assess the situation of women  farmers’ empowerment and food production in Rathnapura  district of the country. A sample of 300 women farmers was  randomly selected for the study, from two selected  Divisional Secretariat (DS) of Rathnapura district. Data  was collected from a field survey using a pre-tested,  self-administered questionnaire survey from April to July  2019. Empowerment was analyzed using the empowerment  framework used by RAHMAN AND NAOZORE in 2007 in the study  of “Women Empowerment through Participation in Aquaculture”  with necessary modifications. Data analysis was conducted  using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and  multiple linear regression analysis. Results revealed that  majority of the women farmers were middle aged, married and  had children. Furthermore, most of them had education up to  secondary level. While average family size was four,  average farm size was 1.25 acres. They had around 16 years  of farming experience. The average monthly income of them  was 25,000.00 LKR whereas 20% of it was from agriculture.  The main sources of empowerment of women farmers were the  Agrarian Service Center (55%) followed by village  organizations/societies (30%) and microfinance institutions  (26%). Furthermore, women empowerment index was 0.65. It is  a moderate level of empowerment. However, there were women  farmers under three categories of empowerment levels: low  empowerment (4.1%), medium empowerment (58.5%) and high  empowerment (36.1%). Out of the socio-economic factors;  age, education, family size, land size, number of training  programs participated, monthly income, experience in  agriculture and number of organizations participated,  education and number of training programs attended had  significant and positive effect for the empowerment.  Accessibility of credit facilities and agricultural  extension program participation showed that there was a  considerable impact on food production rather than the  cultivable land size and utilization of modern farming  technologies for food production. Therefore, proving of  timely important agricultural education and training  programs, enhance awareness level of modern farming  technology utilization, better micro finance programs and  agricultural credit facilities will be able to enhance the  empowerment level of the women farmers of this area  furthermore.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/339819},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.339819},
}