PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND DOMESTIC MATTERS IN DECISION-MAKING: A CASE STUDY FOR TOKAT PROVINCE

The survey included 171 rural women living in 34 villages of Central District and some other districts of Tokat Province. The data were obtained via questionnaires. For the analysis of data chi-square were used. By the questionnaires directed at women, data about rural family structure, age, education level, income sources and their social conditions such as their participation in agricultural production and in decision making about production were examined. According to the survey results, women are participating in every stage of crop and animal production. However, it was found out that the majority of women took part in tilling and cleaning the hoes and weeds in the crop production and milking in the animal breeding. Although women take role in decisions regarding the purchase of household goods and in the matters related to the education of their children alongside her husband, men are more effective in sorting out the financial matters of the family. In case of investments and credit loaning matters in particular, men take the foreground. In order to ameliorate the conditions of rural women, upraising their educational level should be promoted and the productivity of researches and projects which will be conducted in rural areas should be adjusted for the benefit of the society by taking into account the social gender roles.