Improving Productivity and Market Success (IPMS)

Analysis of priority commodities–

Gender and technology perspectives

Ranjitha Puskur20 March 2006

ILRI

Overview of presentation

IPMS and its Gender strategy Why gender analysis? Key gender concepts used Overview of some tools employed Implications for IPMS activities IPMS activities and plans

IPMS

Knowledgemanagement

Changes in capabilities,capacities, roles,

Linkages public and private sector service providers

and farmersPublic and privateagricultural sector service providers

Capacitybuilding

TechnologiesInput/output marketing

interventionsAgri-business

Farmers

Learning Process

Policies, institutions &

Technology Options

Gender Strategy – IPMS

Purpose To promote gender equity in market-led

agricultural development opportunities

Objectives Understand gender context of priority commodities

and services to be supported by IPMS

Identify strategies and interventions that support greater gender equity in access to and control of market opportunities and benefits

Develop skills of extension staff and other stakeholders to effectively address gender issues

Increase awareness and mainstream gender issues within market oriented approaches

Contribute to knowledge base about gender in the agricultural sector

Rural reality: Composition of communities

Alamata

Fogera

Metema

Mieso

Alaba

FHHs (%)

28

31

25

20

25

Metema (Agame Woha)

0

20

40

60

80

rich middle poor

%ag

e H

Hs

in c

omm

unity

All HHs FHHs

Alaba (Ultegna Teffo)

0

20

40

60

80

rich middle poor

%ag

e H

Hs

in c

omm

unity

All HHs FHHs

Why gender analysis?

Roles of women and men in agricultural activities, marketing, decision-making and their share in benefits Address disparities Challenge systemic inequalities Build efficient and equitable solutions

Market orientation to be incorporated in food security strategy

Why gender analysis?

Identify potential barriers to participation in market-led development initiatives and technology adoption Constraints on women’s participation Meet both practical gender needs

(support and improve efficiency of productive roles) and strategic needs (improve gender equity through participation)

Market orientation to be incorporated in food security strategy

Why gender analysis?

Identify what actions may be required by project to overcome some of these barriers Opportunities for women’s participation

in delivery and community management of goods and services, planned institutional changes, in training opportunities, and in monitoring of resources and benefits

Market orientation to be incorporated in food security strategy

Key gender concepts

•Gender division of labour

•Gender access to resources and control over benefits

•Gender participation in decision-making

Gender division of labour

What will be the expected impact of improving the productivity of specific commodities on the workloads of women and men?

If additional inputs of labour are required, will be the burden be shared equally between them or will one be expected to make a greater contribution due to the traditional gender division of labour?

Gender access to resources and control over benefits

If specific technologies or services are being promoted by the project, will both women and men be able to benefit from them?

Will poorer households be able to reap the benefits of the new technologies?

Gender participation in decision-making

Who will make the decisions about adoption?

Who will develop the necessary skills?

Gender perspective of commodities for market led development

As a result of promoting market-led development of specific commodities, will the role of different crops and livestock in the household economy be changed?

As enterprises become more commercially oriented, will this have implications for the control of the benefits of production between household members?

Are there any barriers which will restrict the ability of women or men, or poorer households from participating in project initiatives and market-led agricultural development?

Implications for IPMS activities Who will be the main winners from the proposed IPMS

activities? Will anyone be disadvantaged as a result of the project activities?

What may be done within the existing project design/new activities to improve project outreach to poor women and men?

Are there any other activities to address gender and poverty imbalances within communities which may be followed up in the PLSs?

What are the options for mainstreaming gender considerations into activities of the stakeholders/partners?

What are the opportunities for collaboration and exploitation of synergies? 

Attention to gender HIV/AIDS, and environment

Overview of some tools employed1. Role of crops and livestock in household

economy - key informants

2. Review of technologies and practices in community – key informants

3. Gender analysis of individual arable crops – women and men focus groups

4. Gender analysis of individual livestock enterprises – women and men focus groups

5. Project perspective - RDOs

Studies to understand PLW gender context

Decision-making, social capital and livelihoods

by PLS and wealth class

Principal decision makers Membership of groups/associations Livelihood activities Source of knowledge, skills, training Wealth profile of communities

Analysis of technology pathways and uptake

Most successful technologies Less widely adopted technologies Technology pathways Decision to adopt technologies Main users and beneficiaries Impacts Potential barriers to growing PLS priority

crops/livestock Other barriers

Gender analysis of commodities- crop and livestock enterprises

•Area grown /numbers of animals

•Position of commodity in HH economy

•Technology development

•Gender division of labour

•Varietal/breed preference

•Source of inputs

•Source of knowledge/skills/training

•Gender analysis of marketing

Crops and livestock

Impact on workloads

Generally both, but magnitude variesOnly women if it is women dominated cropMore on women in case of livestock-labour saving technologies in operations done by women and other chores taken up by them-reversal/adjustment of roles

Additional labour and labour peaks

Available -consider farming system as a whole-ability to hire-Availability of skilled labour

Benefits from technology

Generally both – magnitude varies, women indirectly in many casesWomen in case of livestock-control of benefits?

Crops and livestock

Adoption decisions

Mainly men or joint, Women in FHH-who to target for dissemination?-changes in existing situation-hidden control of decisions

Skill development

Men or both-who to target for trainings?

Control of benefits

Mainly men or joint-How to ensure judicious use of income?

- role of behavioural change communication?-change of mindsets?

Winners Both and in some rich farmers-how to target poor HH and FHH?-indirect benefits/spinoffs

A National level workshop held with participation of Federal, Regional and Woreda level stakeholders to share findings and draw actions plans

Commodity Gender Fact Sheets developed for all PLWs

Implications for IPMS project

Technology and commodity specific interventions Impact on workloads

Identify and promote labour saving technologies Involve women in technology demonstration and application Change mindsets to work towards more equitable workloads

Additional labour requirements Labour requirements of the whole FS Capacity to hire labour Availability of skilled labour for introducing new technologies

Distribution of benefits from technology Appropriate targeting strategies – women, FHH, poor Involve women in technology transfer and adoption processes

Adoption decisions Strategies to provide women with more knowledge and

information to make more informed decisions

Empowering Women

Skills development Involve women and couples in training activities Encourage extension service to mainstream gender in their

activities Incorporate gender into TVET curriculum

Control of benefits Initiate efforts with partners to work towards attitudinal changes

for ensuring fair use of household income Access to services and resources (knowledge, credit and

inputs) Work with partners to facilitate access to services Facilitate capacity building of public sector actors to extend focus

from production to institutional issues Explore setting up women’s SHGs for savings & credit and,

knowledge sharing Creation and facilitation of market linkages

Organising women for enhancing production volumes and stronger market bargaining power

SHGs for processing and marketing, and as a platform for sharing market information

Awareness creation and enhanced understanding

Gender awareness creation Work with partners to create awareness through

workshops, campaigns and briefing sessions Form linkage with all institutions working to

address gender imbalances and sensitization in the area of women rights and legislation that protect women’s rights

Contribute to better understanding Collect, report and analyse information in a

gender-disaggregated manner Understand social, cultural and economic

variables that contribute to gender imbalances while identifying options

Understand role of gender in market decisions

Suggested roles of various actors1.Office of Ag: training and capacity building (eg., income generation

for women), technology introduction for work reduction

2.Bureau of Ag: capacity building, training and policy implementation

3.MoARD: policy addressing gender equality, gender equality integration into TVET curriculum

4.Women’s Affairs (all levels): strengthening political empowerment

5.Private sector: input supply introduced to save energy and time for women

6.Community associations and women’s associations/groups: increase awareness of role of women in agricultural decision-making

7.NGOs: implementing training, support to input supply, technology for FHH and women

8.Research institutes: develop technologies that address gender roles

9.Microfinance institutions: promote access to saving and credit for women and FHH

Gender and HIV Plans for 2006

PLW workshops action plans for integrating the concerns into IPMS

activities and capacity building of woreda level actors

Progress monitoring and experience sharing workshop towards the end of the year

Technology exhibitions oriented towards women at woreda level

Integration of gender/HIV issues into TVET curriculum – draft curriculum and test delivery in TVETs

Case studies focusing on gender and HIV/AIDS Monitoring of and documenting process of gender

and HIV mainstreaming in IPMS activities and mapping outcomes

Thank you!