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Exploration of the Tasks and Roles of Rural Muslim Women in Selected Areas of Lanao del Sur
Dissertation Abstract:
The study attempted to identify the tasks and type of roles assumed by the rural Muslim women in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines, particularly in farming and fishing. It also determined the ways by which the women learned the tasks they performed and looked into the involvement of rural Muslim women in family decision-making pertaining to household, community, farming, and fishing activities. Finally, it analyzed decision-making and role types in the context of Muslim and Maranao society.
Two hundred and ninety-four rural Muslims women were randomly selected from 18 barangays (villages) in six municipalities of Lanao del Sur, those constituting the unit of analysis. A structured interview schedule translated to the local dialect was used to gather quantitative data and this was supplemented by key informant interview to gather qualitative data.
Frequency counts, percentages, mean, median, ranking, standard deviation, chi-square, contingency coefficient, and Pearson product correlation were employed in data analysis.
Findings revealed that rural Muslim women had low education, low membership in community organization, inadequate media exposure, limited contact with change agents, and familistic orientation. However, they aspired for high income and were perceived to assume multiple roles, given the opportunity within their present status in the tradition-bound Maranao society.
Apparently, rural Muslim women were actively involved in family decision-making. They equally decided with their husbands on matters pertaining to household and community activities. Their involvement in deciding matters on farming and fishing was consultative in nature.
Rural Muslim women performed several tasks in farming and fishing. In areas planted to coconut, they gathered and sorted nuts, removed copra meat from the shell, contacted copra buyers, and dried and delivered copra to buyers. In the fishing areas, they selected fishing sites, salted and dried fish, fed the fish, sorted fish caught, stocked fish, and fertilized fishponds. In areas planted to rice, they brought food to the farm for the husband or workers; marketed palay; winnowed, weeded and cultivated farms; and transplanted seedlings. On top of faring and fishing, rural Muslim women were also engaged in weaving and embroidery. The majority of them learned those tasks through observation and by their own initiative.
Based on tasks performed at home, in the farm, and fishing, roles of the rural Muslim women were classified as either traditional or traditional-transitional. The majority of them were found assuming traditional-transitional role.
Findings on relationships showed the following: age was negatively related to education; education was positively related to cosmopoliteness and contact with change agents; and cosmopoliteness was positively related to media exposure. Number of children was positively related to land ownership; attitude toward participation in socioeconomic activities was negatively related to number of children; and traditionalism was negatively related to family income. Family level was positively associated with education, media exposure, and cosmopoliteness; size of family was positively related to cosmopoliteness and contact with change agents; and landownership was positively associated with cosmopoliteness. Cosmopoliteness and type of family were negatively associated with involvement in decision-making on schooling of children; kinship ties was positively associated with involvement in decision-making on employment of family members and on planning program; and level of living was positively associated with involvement in decision-making on employment of family members and on planning program; and level of living was positively associated with involvement in decision-making on production program. Involvement of rural Muslim women in decision-making pertaining to family size, purchase of farm inputs, and borrowing money were positively associated with the role they assumed; kinship ties and traditionalism were also positively associated with role type; however, the role assumed was negatively associated with education and land ownership.
