Agriculture is the backbone of the Haitian economy and provides employment 80% employment to the Haitian population (Lundahl, 1992). Also 85% of people in rural areas generate money from agricultural activities (IFAD, 2008). In the rural areas, men and women participate in agricultural production. However, the women play a vital role in the whole process starting from land preparation to crop sale (Gaspard, 2013). The Haitian women, despite of their function in crop productions (Dor, 2016), face different health issues, which have influence over Haitian agricultural system. Therefore, the research purposed was to investigate the impact of women heath issues on agricultural production Fondwa. A qualitative case study was used to investigate ten women farmers in the community of Fondwa, which is a small farming area in southwest part of Haiti. An interview questionnaire was used for data collection. Findings of the study showed that the women's contribution to farming is vital for promoting agricultural production, and they face different health issues that are linked to the environment and water pollution. Lastly, the women health problems influence agricultural production in the Fondwa area by preventing them from doing their daily agricultural activities, which have a direct impact over family and country's income. / MSLFS / Fondwa is a small mountainous community village in the Southwest department of Haiti with a population of approximately 10,000 people. Corn, beans, and vegetables are the dominant crops in the area of Fondwa. In Fondwa, women play an important role in crop production and agricultural sale. However, these women, despite of their role in farming, face many health issues due to the lack of health infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of women’s health issues on agricultural production in Fondwa. For this study, a sample of ten women from nine areas were selected for this study and these participants live in Fondwa. A qualitative method was used to conduct the research and interview questionnaire was used to gather information from the participants. The interview process was done via Skype meetings with the women. Results of the study showed that the 1) Fondwa women farmers play an important role in crop production in the community of Fondwa because they plant, harvest, and sale crops, which helps take care of their family. 2) The women have difficulty to receive healthcare service due to infrastructure problems in the community. 3) The women’s health issues are related to water and environmental issues. 4) The agricultural production in Fondwa will slow down without the women’s presence. The participants showed passion and dedication for agriculture despite of their health problems.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/96026 |
Date | 26 June 2018 |
Creators | Beauvais, Junior |
Contributors | Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education, Westfall-Rudd, Donna M., Sax, Karrin, Drape, Tiffany A. |
Publisher | Virginia Tech |
Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Thesis |
Format | ETD, application/pdf |
Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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