An Assessment of Effects of Mango Value Addition Activities on Women Economic Empowerment in Tana Delta Sub-county, Kenya

Abstract

This study examined the effect of mango value addition activities on women’s economic empowerment in Tana Delta Sub-County. It was founded on the need to re-evaluate the effectiveness of local and international organizations that attempt to provide solutions to communities, but fail to follow up on whether the expected goals have been met. This study was anchored on two projects in Tana Delta Sub County: Kenya Adaptation to Climate Change in Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (KACCAL) (2015-2016) and Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agribusiness (KAPAP) (2010-2015). The study focused on mango value addition activities performed by women in the mango production chain, such as sorting, grading, packaging, and processing. The objectives of the study were: to assess the effect of mango value addition activities on women economic empowerment and to assess to what level women are empowered depending on the activity they are involved in. A descriptive research design was used in the study. The target population included all farmers involved in KACCAL projects, as well as Agricultural Officers and Chiefs in the sub-county, from which a sample of 210 farmers, 14 agricultural officers, and 14 chiefs were drawn, using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. The questionnaire, interview schedule, and document analysis were used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS and content analysis procedures, and the results were presented in percentages, frequencies, tables, and narratives. The results indicated that, 38.1 percent of the respondents were involved in sorting, 28.6 percent in grading, 19 percent in packaging, and 14.3 percent in processing activities. From the results, it was found out that packaging as a value addition activity contributed the most to the economic empowerment of women since it had a coefficient of 0.076

followed by processing with a beta coefficient of 0.073 then sorting with a coefficient of 0.07 and lastly grading with a coefficient of 0.069. This demonstrates that women actively participated in mango value addition activities as a of earning an income and a way of meeting their economic needs. This study's findings contribute to governments' efforts to find more innovative ways of creating targeted interventions for effective involvement of women in the agricultural sector to economically empower them. Policymakers, development practitioners, and other actors may also consider these cases when planning national women's development activities.