FEMALE STUDENTS PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN AKUNGBA-AKOKO

ABSTRACT The study investigated female students’ participation in community service and academic achievement at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State. Guided by Empowerment Theory, it examined socio-cultural, economic, institutional and academic factors that limit female engagement, alongside their awareness of community service opportunities. The research adopted a descriptive survey design with a population of 10,868 female undergraduates and a purposive sample of 100. A self-constructed, expert-validated questionnaire was personally administered, yielding complete retrieval (100% response rate). The respondents were predominantly senior students (69.0% in 400L, 26.0% in 300L, 4.0% in 200L and 1.0% in 100L), drawn largely from the Social Sciences (39.0%) and Education (24.0%) faculties, with additional representation from Arts (16.0%), Law (18.0%), Science (2.0%) and Management (1.0%). Data were analysed using frequency counts, percentages and standard deviation. Results revealed that socio-economic constraints notably poverty, lack of resources, time pressures and low self-esteem were widely recognized as significant barriers to female participation. Likewise, socio-cultural factors such as entrenched gender roles, male-dominant attitudes and social exclusion were cited as strong deterrents, even though many respondents noted that positive cultural beliefs could support involvement. Other obstacles included inadequate institutional support and security concerns.