Perception of Rural Malaysian Women Leaders on Their Input Into the Process of Decision Making in Farmers Organizations
The major objective of this study was to explore the involvement of rural Malaysian women in the process of decision making in rural farmers organizations. The major objective of the study was to examine the participation of rural Malaysian leaders in decision making in elation to their empowerme...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
1997
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/8203/1/FEM_1997_1_A.pdf |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | The major objective of this study was to explore the involvement of rural
Malaysian women in the process of decision making in rural farmers organizations. The
major objective of the study was to examine the participation of rural Malaysian leaders
in decision making in elation to their empowerment and share of power at societal level.
The specific objectives were: (a) to examine the socio':'demographic, economic, and
leadership characteristics of rural women leaders in rural/farmers organizations, (b) to
examine the levels of participation of rural women as members and leaders in
rural/farmers organizations, (c) to examine rural women leaders' perception on decision
making inputs in rural farmers organizations, (d) to determine the factors that contribute
to rural women leaders perception on decision making inputs and, to (e) to identify the
gender based inequalities, institutional and organizational constraints that hinder
women's participation in decision making.Farmers Organizations' Authority (FOA) a nation wide farmers organization was
selected as the case study. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to
encompass the objectives of the study.
The secondary data showed that even though women constitute 21 percent of the
membership of the organization, but their representation as leaders consist
only 6 percent. A combination of personal, characteristics gender and
institutional/organizational factors were found to be behind their low representation as
leaders. The study hypothesised nine predictor variables of the personal characteristics to
affect women's perception on their decision making inputs. Only age was found to have
a significant effect at pc 0.05.
The study suggested the gender factors as deep rooted within the cultural set up
of the society and their transcendence is a long term process related to changes of the
value systems of the society. Hence the organizational and institutional factors are seen
to be the potential subject of short term actions to overcome the reality of women's low
representation in rural farmers' organizations. Among other recommendations, gender
sensitization of policy makers was suggested as a priority to effect institutional and
organizational change.
It was concluded that the coalition of market/business oriented policies together
with the patriarchal mode of production have contributed to further subordination of
rural Malaysian women in the aftermath of traditional agricultural production. |
|---|