Journal of Applied Sciences Research, 5(6): 636-644, 2009 © 2009, INSInet Publication Corresoonding Author: Adetunji M.O., Department of Agricultural Economics and Extensions, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso Oyo State. E-mail: moreniketunji@yahoo.com 636 Household Resource Management by Rural Women in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State Adetunji M.O. and Adepoju A. A Department of Agricultural Economics and Extensions, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso Oyo State. Abstract: The study examines how rural women in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State, manage the household resources within their reach. Four villages in Eruwa Township in the LGA were randomly selected while twenty rural women were purposively chosen for the study. The result showed that most of the rural women were married while a very few were either single or widowed. About 33 percent of the rural women were averagely old, that is those in the age bracket of 40-49 years. Household resource management may not require much formal education but it may affect how resources are effectively allocated within the household based on priority placed on household needs. About 5 percent of the respondents stopped schooling at primary school educational level while 7.5 percent did not have any formal education. About 64 percents spent much of their resources food items in spite of the fact that they engage in agricultural activities, about 7 percent of respondents allocate money for rent allowances, this is because most household in the rural area live in family houses, while little is spent on wards education. Crop failure, prices of goods, household size amongst others affects how resources are allocated within a household. Regression result reveals that school fees and food consumed are negatively related to household income which implied that increase in income will reduce the proportion of income spent on school fees and food consumed at the household level. It was recommended that the solution to crop failure be sort so as to minimize loses made in farming activities; also, the rural women should be enlightened on family planning as many so as reduce the demand on their income thereby increasing the well being of the household at large. Key words: household, resource management, allocation. INTRODUCTION Household resource management is the process of making decisions about how to maximize the use of resource such as land, water, labour, and inputs whether purchased or produced on farm, cash, agricultural credit and agricultural extension . It looks [5] at how people within household individually and collectively use the resources around them to support their livelihoods. Households are not homogenous units they differ from community to community and from religion to religion. While some households may be single headed, others may include hired labour and members of extended family. Also, some are male headed and others female headed. Members of household have different needs and priorities depending on their roles within the household and this may be defined by their gender, socialization, life cycle and social class e.g. productive (income generating) reproductive (child bearing) etc. These roles influence household livelihood strategies and opportunities for managing resources that are available for use. The concept of household in terms of agricultural and rural development is linked to other conceptual units of analysis such as the agricultural holding. FAO (1999) defines the concept of household as the arrangements made by people for provision of food and other essentials of living for themselves. It may be one- person or multi-person, they may be related or unrelated or a combination of both. The dynamics of resource management both within and beyond the household is to ensure equal access to resources for women and men in agriculture and rural development, it is needful to therefore apply gender and socio-economic analysis with a focus on intra-household power relations and decision making dynamics. Men and women have different patterns of access to resources within a household e.g. the socio-economic status of an individual is an important determinant of his/her access to resources. In a community, men that hold title to land are likely to have easier access to land, credit and information than woman in the same household.