GENDER ROLES IN THE UTILIZATION OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS (NTFPs) IN FOREST COMMUNITIES OF OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examined the gender roles in Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) Utilization in Osun State, Nigeria. Three purposively selected forest reserves were chosen and four communities in each reserve were randomly selected. Ten men and ten women were randomly selected and administered with semi-structured questionnaire. The result of the study showed that the respondents had hardly reached the secondary level of educational attainment. In all the communities, agricultural crops contributed to the biggest portions of household income and a greater part was used for household consumption and to generate income. The Chi-square test conducted showed that there is a significant relationship between the gender of the respondent and the income they realize. Also, there is no significant relationship between the educational qualification of men and the income they realize. While for women, there is a significant relationship between their education level and the income they realize. Although women earn more than men from their local market sales, men earn more from the sale of their product to the urban market. Both male and female have to trek long distances due to the increase in the number of NTFP collectors, while some males and females choose to sell their produce raw so as to avoid the stress of long term preservation as there are no equipment and fund to carry out the process. The unrestricted access that has led to a decline in the supply of NTFPs leaves the forests at risk of unlawful extraction of resources. Effective training on how to earn sustainably from NTFP chain of production has to be effectively taught to both men and women for sustainability and equity.