LOCAL PARTICIPATION LEVEL OF RURAL WOMEN IN HALABJA GOVERNORATE IN KURDISTAN REGION OF IRAQ

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Coll. Agric., Dohuk Univ., Iraq

2 Coll. Agric., Sulaimani Univ., Iraq

Abstract

The main objective of the study is to determine the Extension, social and political participation levels of rural women in Halabja Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region and identify the relative importance of problems and obstacles of the local participation of rural women in the studied area. A Random sample of 200 rural women was selected and the data were collected by using a questionnaire consisted of four parts: The first part included a scale for extension participation measurement, the second part included social participation scale, and the third part included political participation scale while the fourth part included the problems and obstacles hindering rural women’s participation. The main results of the study were: the majority of the studied rural women (52.5%) had medium local participation level, (53.5%) of them had medium extension participation level, (73.5%) of them had medium social participation and (46%) had medium political participation. The results also indicated that the (five) most important factors hindering rural women participation in the studied area are (Educational  level and illiteracy among rural women in the studied areas, lack of  confidence between rural women and politicians, political parties ignore the society objectives and interests,   political life is centered in cities and highly populated and urban, the traditional attitudes of men toward  women and the social role of each of them, the weak role of agricultural extension in supporting active participation of rural women in the region. Based on the results of the study, a number of recommendations were suggested, the most important was organizing awareness programs by agricultural extension and civil society institutions in order to increase local people’s understanding of the significance of women’s participation in sustainable rural development programs.

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