Women’s Adaptive Strategies and Poverty Reduction in Rural Communities of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria

This study investigates the relationship between women’s adaptive strategies and poverty reduction in rural communities of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States, Nigeria. Adopting a cross-sectional survey research design that integrated quantitative and qualitative approaches, primary data were collected from 700 rural women selected through purposive, stratified random, and systematic sampling techniques across the Southern Senatorial District of Cross River State and Eket Senatorial District of Akwa Ibom State. Data were obtained using structured questionnaires based on a 4-point Likert scale and Key Informant Interviews (KII). The study employed descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to examine the relationship between income-based saving schemes and asset ownership, petty trading activities and income improvement, food processing and food security, as well as vocational skills acquisition and employment opportunities. The findings revealed significant positive relationships between income-based saving schemes and asset ownership (r = 0.995), petty trading activities and income improvement (r = 0.993), food processing and food security (r = 0.996), and vocational skills acquisition and employment opportunities (r = 0.991). The results indicate that women’s adaptive strategies significantly improve household welfare, economic resilience, income diversification, food availability, and employment outcomes among rural women. The study concludes that adaptive livelihood mechanisms remain critical pathways for reducing multidimensional poverty and improving socio-economic wellbeing in rural communities of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States. The study recommends that government agencies, NGOs, and development partners should strengthen women-focused savings schemes, improve access to vocational and entrepreneurial training, provide financial and infrastructural support for petty trading and food processing activities, and expand empowerment programmes aimed at enhancing women’s economic participation and sustainable poverty reduction outcomes.

Women’s Adaptive Strategies, Poverty Reduction, Income-Based Saving Schemes, Petty Trading, Food Processing, Vocational Skills Acquisition, Rural Women, Cross River State, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

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