Wrong Environmental Practices of Rural Women in Al-Alam District, Salah al-Din Governorate, Iraq

Abstract

       The study aimed to identify the level of rural women's application of wrong environmental practices in Al-Alam District, Salah al-Din Governorate, in general. Also aimed to identify the level of rural women's application of wrong environmental practices in each of the following research fields: (water, air, food, agricultural land), and to rank the research fields in descending order. It also aimed to determine the correlation between the level of rural women's application of wrong environmental practices and set of variables. The research population included all rural women in Al-Alam district, numbering (1200). A random sample of 10% was selected from them, so the size of the research sample reached 120 female respondents. A questionnaire was prepared consisting of two parts. The first part included the personal variables, while the second part included a scale for the dependent variable The face and content validity of the research tool were measured by presenting it in its initial form to a number of experts and specialists in the field of agricultural extension, psychology, soil sciences and the environment. A Exploratory sample of 30 respondents was selected from the research population from outside the research sample to measure the reliability and validity of the scale. The measurement was carried out using the Cronbach’s alpha method, where the reliability coefficient value reached 0.86 and the validity coefficient 0.92. The research variables were measured using the scales specific to each of them. As for the dependent variable, it was measured using 52 paragraphs distributed over the following research fields: (water, air, food, agricultural land) with a number of (13, 14, 13, 12) respectively. A four-point scale was set for each paragraph that included the alternatives (always, sometimes, rarely, never), to which values ​​were assigned. The research results concluded that the level of rural women's application of wrong environmental practices in Al-Alam District/Salah al-Din Governorate is generally Average close to high. A significant inverse correlation was found between the level of application and the variables of age, educational level, and sources of information. The research concluded that rural women lack awareness of the seriousness of these practices. The research recommended intensifying extension and training activities directed at women to reduce wrong practices, activate extension services directed at rural women, and increase the number of female agricultural extension workers.