SOCIO-ECONOMIC FEATURE STIRRING WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN LIVESTOCK ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Livestock is considered one of the major components in the farming system of Pakistan. Animals rearing, feeding, cutting fodder, cleaning shed and many other activities which are associated with livestock. Female contribution in livestock is remarkable and important in term of all above mentioned activities. The key objective of this study is to explore the women participation in this sector. For this study 400 respondents who belonged to three different geographical regions of Punjab (North, South and central) were taken to collect the information. Respondents were selected by using purposive sampling technique and tool of data collection was interview schedule. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used to analyze the collected data. Data reveals the findings that more than half number of households (57.8%) had 1-5 animals for rearing. Majority of the female performed livestock activities like poultry raising (54%), raising of sheep (50%), cutting fodder (36%), cleaning of animals shed (31%) and many other activities on daily basis. This percentage exposed the female contribution in this sector. There were negative repercussions on the health of women which indicated that almost (80%) women suffered from different kind of diseases.  The major findings of study reveal that in spite of huge contribution in livestock activities their participation is never acknowledge and appreciated. They are still impoverished in term of resources, incapacitated to take any decision and majority is illiterate to use new techniques in this sector which marginalized their economic benefits beside socio-cultural barriers. This study also propound that Government should initiate different programs and training to encourage people participation and mainly women to take part in these activities.

Keywords: Livestock, Activities, Animal, Rearing, Participation, Involvement, Raising, Female