ABSTRACT

The study evaluated performance of community-based women organizations (CBWOs) in rural development projects in Imo and Rivers States. Specifically, the objectives were to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of CBWOs, determine the rural development roles expected and performed by CBWOs, assess the levels of perception of women on the performance of CBWOs in rural development projects, ascertain their levels of participation in rural development projects and determine the sustainability strategies adopted/levels of sustainability of rural development projects by CBWOs in Imo and Rivers States. The result of selected socio-economic characteristics shows that community-based women organizations had mean years of existence, 21.1 (Imo) and 28.9 (Rivers); CBWOs were all involved (100%) in infrastructural social services as against 66.6% (Imo) and 71.7% (Rivers) who were into non-infrastructural social services, while the majority (90.8% and 65%) were engaged in crop production in Imo and Rivers States respectively and 90.6% of the members identified various projects by themselves. The CBWOs played active roles (82%) in rural developmental projects. The respondents had favourable perception (X=3.1) and (X=3.4) of rural development projects in Imo and Rivers State respectively. Result also revealed that the CBWOs had high participation in rural development projects in Imo (X=2.4) and Rivers (X=2.2), with a sustainability index of 70%. The pooled regression results showed that coefficients of age (0.393***), membership size (-0.249***), membership of other organization (0.112*), access to credit (0.241***), Income (0.650***) and funds generated (0.102**) influenced role performance of CBWOs. Linear regression results also showed that coefficient of age (19161.1***), mode of project identification (28920.5***), access to credit (337774.2***), membership size (877.537*), benefits (573.902***) and types of social services (186618.5**), influenced participation of CBWOs in rural development projects at different levels of probability. The multiple regression result showed that coefficient of age (0.071*) membership size (0.016***), membership of other organization (8.878***), number of meetings (-0.088), internally sourced resource (-8.106***) and funds generated (-0.000), influenced sustainability of rural development projects in Imo and Rivers States. Z-test results revealed no significant difference on role performance of CBWOs in both states at 5% level; also there is significant difference in participation of CBWOs in rural development projects at 5% levels of probability in both states and no significance difference in the sustainability strategies of rural development projects executed by CBWOs in Imo and Rivers State at 5% levels of probability. In conclusion, CBWOs have made some remarkable success in the development of the study area, which has resulted to active participation of women, and on the overall, 82% of their active roles were on agricultural and development projects, indicating high performance when compared with their expected roles. The study recommends that CBWOs should embark on regular awareness campaign among their members on the importance of implementing viable rural development projects. They should also embark on people-oriented and sustainable activities that ensure utilization of locally sourced resources to improve the well-being of their members and the development of their communities