PARTICIPATION OF RURAL WOMEN IN HOMESTEAD VEGETABLE CULTIVATION IN ZAKIGANJ UPAZILA OF SYLHET DISTRICT

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to ascertain rural women participation in homestead vegetable cultivation. The study explored the relationship of selected characteristics of the rural women with their participation in homestead vegetable cultivation. The study was conducted in two villages under Sultanpur union in Zakigonj Upazila of Sylhet district. Hundred respondents were randomly selected as sample for the study. Data were collected from sample respondents with the help of a pre-tested interview schedule during January to February, 2015 by the researcher herself. Selected characteristics of the respondents were independent variables and participation in homestead vegetable cultivation was dependent variable. In order to explore the relationship between the independent and dependent variables, chi square (ᵡ ) test was used. 2 The findings indicated that the Majority (71%) of the respondents had medium participation in homestead vegetable cultivation while 15 percent had low and 14 percent high participation. Out of ten selected characteristics, age, farm size, percent of land use under homestead vegetable cultivation, extension contact had positive significant relationship with the participation of rural women in homestead vegetable cultivation. On the contrary, education, family size, annual family income, cosmopoliteness, organizational participation and attitude had no relationships with the participation of rural women in homestead vegetable cultivation.