RURAL WOMEN'S CONTRIBUTION IN FOOD AVAILABILITY: A CASE STUDY IN KAFR TESFA VILLAGE, QALUBIA GOVERNORATE

The resent study aims to identify the score of rural women's contribution in food availability for her family through determining the nature of participation of rural women in various agricultural activities (plant and animal activities). Furthermore to determine the most important factors affecting rural women's contribution in food availability of the study sample. Finally, to identify the most important problems and obstacles facing the rural woman and limiting her contribution in food availability for her family.   A study was conducted in   "Kafr Tesfa" village, Kafr Shokr district in Qalubia governorate. A systematic random sample was selected including170 rural women from the village. A questionnaire was used during personal interviews with the rural women from December 2017 to January 2018.    The data was tabulated and analyzed by using several statistical methods such as: range, arithmetic mean, mode, standard division, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient, Chi Square test and Kramer's V coefficient using SPSS program.   The study results indicated that the score of rural women's contribution in food availability indicator ranges between (25) - (97) scores with Arithmetic mean (65.4) scores, standard deviation (19.99) score. The indicator range was divided into 3 equal categories. The results also showed that (45.3%) from the total population sample fell in the  high category of the indicator. The medium category included (24.1%), and the lowest category included (30.6%) from the total sample population.  To measure the association relationships between the score of rural women's contribution in food availability (dependent variable) and the study independent variables, the study used Chi Square test. Where, the study results indicated that there are association relationships between the dependent variable and the following independent variables: woman's social status, ownership of agricultural machineries, sources of access to food information at significance level 0.01. While the association relationships of variables: socio-economic level of respondent's family and get a pension were significance at level 0.05.  To show the combined effect of the studied independent variables on a score of rural women's contribution in food availability (dependent variable) the study used Kramer's V coefficient for the strength of the relationship.  The analysis of the data using Kramer's V coefficient showed that the Determination Coefficient was (0.560). This result means that five factors out of all independent factors explain (56%) from the total variance in the score of rural women's contribution in food availability (dependent variable) at probability significance level 0.01.