| dc.description.abstract | The aim of the study was to investigate the information seeking behaviour of rural women involved in economic activities in Bungokho County, Mbale District in order to suggest strategies to enhance the information seeking.
The following objectives guided the study; to examine the information needs of rural women of Bungokho County, to identify the information sources/resources used by rural women of Bungokho County to seek and satisfy their information needs, to establish the challenges faced by rural women of Bungokho County in seeking information and to suggest strategies to enhance the information seeking of rural women of Bungokho County.
Mixed-Methods approach was used with survey design for quantitative and case study for qualitative. Questionnaires and focus group discussion were used to collect data. Data was analysed using thematic analysis and Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS).
The findings revealed that respondents’ commonly needed information regarding pests and disease management followed by income generating activities. The rural women consulted informal than formal sources of information and social-political meetings like burial ceremonies, weddings and harvest festivals were the most used channel of communication. The major challenges that respondents faced was lack of awareness and knowledge on where to get useful information and financial obstacles. The strategy seconded by the respondents was exposing and training the rural women in different income generating activities and women empowerment through education and enlightenment programs.
The study recommended regular training of women in income generating activities, financial literacy programmes, making loan facilities available to the rural women for business investments, repackaging of information, introduction of adult education in different villages, deployment of extension workers and gender sensitization. | en_US |
