Perceived Barriers and Opportunities for Rural Women’s Participation in Agricultural Extension Activities in Afgoi District, Somalia

Agricultural extension services can improve farming knowledge and rural livelihoods, but access may be constrained by financial, institutional, and information barriers. This descriptive quantitative study summarizes the perceptions of 80 agricultural stakeholders in Afgoi District, Somalia. Responses were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, and five-point Likert mean scores. Limited access to agricultural information (M = 4.05), training (M = 4.03), and modern farming techniques (M = 3.94) were rated as challenges. Lack of financial support (M = 4.19) and limited access to inputs (M = 4.18) were perceived as major economic constraints. Program availability (M = 3.44) and government support (M = 3.38) received comparatively lower ratings. Proposed improvements included agricultural credit (M = 4.35), technologies and inputs (M = 4.33), extension services (M = 4.30), and training (M = 4.28). The results reflect the views of a mixed-gender stakeholder sample rather than measurements of women’s actual participation or effects of interventions. Documented reliability testing of the questionnaire was not available, and the findings are descriptive and limited to Afgoi District.