COPING STRATEGIES ADOPTED BY RURAL WOMEN AMIDST HIGH COST OF LIVING IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study examines the coping strategies adopted by rural women in Adamawa State, Nigeria, A descriptive survey design was used, employing structured questionnaires to collect data from 504 respondents across 18 rural communities. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics such as percentages, means, and ranking to assess coping strategies and a constraint-ranking scale. Findings show that non-agricultural strategies such as petty trading (25.2%), casual labor (24.8%), and hairdressing (15.9%) were common. Formal credit access was low (5.3%), while many women modified their diet (37.6%) or skipped meals (9.3%). Agricultural strategies included rainy-season farming (76.1%), poultry (31.4%), and livestock farming (28.3%). Key constraints were lack of finance (76.6%), high farm input costs (75.7%), and transportation expenses (76.1%). Socio-cultural barriers and gender disparities also limited resilience. These findings underscore the urgent need for integrated policy measures that expand access to formal financial services (microfinance and cooperatives), reduce transportation and input costs, and strengthen extension and information delivery systems. The study recommends prioritizing the expansion of affordable formal financial services such as microcredit and cooperative lending and invest in subsidized transport and input supply schemes.