Gender Livelihood Strategies among Farmers’ Household in Kano State, Nigeria

Gender-based livelihood continues to be one of the most prevalent issues facing Nigerian households, with implications in virtually every industry. This study accessed the gender-based livelihood strategies of farmers’ households in Kano State, Nigeria. The research was conducted in Kano state, four Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kano State were selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure, and 215 farmers were randomly selected from 717 households in the LGAs. In addition, 80 households, of which 20 were randomly selected from each LGA, were interviewed about their means of subsistence. A combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques was used to gather information for the study. Both descriptive statistics and the Harvard Analytical Framework were used to analyse the collected data. The results revealed that the average age of farmers in Kano State was 35 years, the majority (89.3%) were married, with an average household size of 9 people, and 55.8% had informal education. The majority of productive activities were carried out by men and boys; both men and women carried out activities that generated income; and more than 70 percent of reproductive activities were carried out by women, as revealed by the household's livelihood strategies. It further revealed that women had limited access to resources and that the majority of resources were under the control of males in the study area. Men dominated access to and control over the resources that were available. It is recommended that women be encouraged to devise legal means for accessing and controlling resources in order to improve their livelihood status.