Spatial distribution of women informal economic activities in the rural areas of Imo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Utilizing a feminist perspective, the paper examines the spatial distribution of informal economic activities engaged in
by women in the rural areas of Imo state and ascertains if there is spatial variation in the type of informal economic
activities executed by these rural women. For the study, data were collected at household and institutional levels. Field
observation and the focus group discussion method were used to further elicit information. The data collected were
subjected to various methods of analytical techniques, such as analysis of variance and other simpler statistical
methods. The findings of the research are as follows; 39.7% of the respondents are engaged in petty trading followed
by farming (29.1%), 27.4% are found in food processing; the least percentage ratio of 3.8% is in crafts. Analysis of
variance reveals that economic activities vary significantly among communities and local government areas in Imo
state, Nigeria. This is because these areas do not have the same natural endowments and do not all exist within the
same ecological/ geomorphologic zones though they are in the same state. Equally important is the fact that they are
areas of high patriarchy. Some gender specific strategies to enhance the rural women’s informal economic activities in
the study area and to address the observed variance/inequality were recommended.