COOPERATIVES AS A TOOL FOR EMPOWERING RURAL WOMEN: EVIDENCE FROM ABIA STATE, NIGERIA

All over the world, one form of cooperative society of the other has been established by women for the purpose of coming together to achieve common goal. These cooperative societies are seen as one of the unique platforms that can help women to discover and harness their god-given potentials. The purpose of this study was to examine cooperative societies and women empowerment in rural development (a study of Isiala Ngwa LGA, Abia State, Nigeria). The study employed the descriptive study design where a structure questionnaire was used to get information from the target respondents (which are women). The sample size of the study was 650 women selected using the convenient sampling technique. The hypotheses were tested through the regression and correlation coefficient models. The findings revealed that cooperative societies have a correlation with and do affect women empowerment in rural development, while lack of sustainable strategies, government insensitivity and lack of financial grant militate against the cooperative societies. It was recommended that government and stakeholders should encourage the formation of cooperative societies, especially among women and importantly in the rural areas for development; and government should be sensitive enough to give financial grants, which is interest free, to cooperative societies, especially those that have to do with women and develop a sustainable strategy for such, which will enable them to be self-reliant.