WOMEN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES AND POVERTY REDUCTION IN IDAH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE

ABSTRACT This study examined the effect of women empowerment programmes on poverty reduction in Idah Local Government Area of Kogi State. The study was guided by five objectives, which were to identify the women empowerment programmes available in the study area, examine the extent of women's participation in the programmes, assess the contribution of the programmes to poverty reduction, identify challenges affecting their implementation, and suggest measures for improving their effectiveness. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 3,024 women beneficiaries of empowerment programmes in Idah Local Government Area, while a sample size of 400 respondents was selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using frequency and percentage, while Chi-square (χ²) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that various women empowerment programmes such as skills acquisition, entrepreneurship development, microcredit schemes, and agricultural support programmes were available in the study area. The study further revealed that women actively participated in the programmes and that the programmes significantly contributed to poverty reduction through increased income generation, improved household welfare, and enhanced economic self-reliance. The findings also showed that inadequate funding, poor awareness, corruption, and limited access to credit facilities were major challenges affecting programme implementation. The hypotheses tested indicated a significant relationship between women empowerment programmes and poverty reduction in Idah Local Government Area. The study concluded that women empowerment programmes are effective instruments for reducing poverty and improving the socio-economic conditions of women. The study recommended increased funding, improved awareness campaigns, easier access to credit facilities, and effective monitoring and evaluation of empowerment programmes to enhance their impact on poverty reduction. Keywords: Women Empowerment, Empowerment Programmes, Poverty Reduction, Women Development, Income Generation, Idah Local Government Area.