Sustainable Agriculture Extension Manual

Gender and development

Rural livelihoods in Africa depend heavily on natural resources. How well these natural resources are managed determines both the quality of life of the people and the sustainability of the production system.

In most countries in sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture is the lifeline of the economy. Women are key farmers, food producers and natural-resource managers. In the region, women produce 60-80% of domestically produced food, provide nearly half the farm labour, and shoulder over 90% of the domestic responsibilities. Women work almost twice as many hours as men. In Kenya, women form the core of the smallholder farm labour force. Nearly all rural women (96%) work on family farms, providing 75% of the farm labour and 60% of farm-derived income.

Despite these contributions, women face major constraints in terms of time, access to and control over resources, and the benefits they receive. Women typically have much less contact with extension agents, control very few agricultural technologies and farm inputs, and rarely take part in making decisions within the household or in institutions. Without this kind of support, their productivity and enthusiasm can be severely eroded.

Implications for sustainable development

Ignoring gender needs and interests reduces the level of participation of all segments of the community, thus jeorpadizing any development efforts. Some of the implications of this for development efforts are listed below.

Heavy workload for women

Time is a critical input in development work. Men and women tend to take on different tasks in the family and society. Because women spend the larger part of their day on "reproductive" work (see below for a definition of this), they are less able to take on the "productive" work tasks needed for development activities. There are several ways to address this division of labour. These include:

• Negotiating to ensure a better distribution of work among family members (for example to persuade men to take on some of the workload normally done by women).
• Providing basic services (such as a water supply) to reduce the amount of time needed for such tasks as fetching water.
• Introducing appropriate technologies (such as tools for weeding) to improve the efficiency of production.

Lack of necessary inputs and tools

The lack of necessary inputs (eg, improved seeds, fertilizers) and farm tools and implements (eg, weeders, seeders) can slow down farm operations. This can be attributed to poverty, but is also a result of lack of control over benefits from the farm. Because they are have different responsibilities, men and women might well decide to invest in different things: the man in fertilizer for "his" maize, for example; the woman in seeds for "her" plot of beans. But because the men make most of the investment decisions, the women's preferences may not get put into effect.

Extension services

Agricultural extension services are often directed to men, because it is men who are normally deemed to be the heads of households. The assumption is that once the information reaches the head of the household, it will automatically be shared with the rest of the household. However, this is not always true, and often women have little technical information necessary to improve their farm. For activities in which women are the key actors, information is a must if they are to participate.

Key ideas in gender analysis

The tools of gender analysis focus on:

• The division of labour. Who does what type of work? Work is divided into three broad types: reproductive, productive and community (described below).
• Access to and control over resources. Who can use the resources such as land, trees and water? Who controls what happens to them?
• Benefits from the work done. Who gets the income (in whatever form) from the resources and the work?
• Constraints and opportunities. How might appropriate interventions be targeted to overcome problems identified?

Gender

"Sex" refers to the biological differences between men and women. The word "gender" refers to their social and economic differences. This term is used to analyse the roles, responsibilities, constraints and opportunities of men and women in development. What men and women do in the family and society depends on society's expectations rather than on the biological differences between males and females. These expectations differ from place to place, and can change over time. For example, in many communities herding is the work of boys and men. But this has changed with the introduction of dairying and zero-grazing, where women play a key role. Because gender is specific to a given culture and time, gender analysis is necessary for every community and project.

Productive work This is work which has monetary value. It covers a wide range of activities including farming and business enterprises (Picture 1).
Reproductive work This is work that supports the welfare and maintenance of the family. It includes child care, fetching water and fuelwood, cooking, washing, nursing, and other household tasks. Reproductive work has no monetary value and is difficult to measure. It is often not considered to be "work", yet it takes women many hours each day to do (Picture 2).
Community work This is work that goes towards the provision of community services and the maintenance of the social system. Activities under this category include building schools, maintaining roads, building soil-conservation structures, attending committee meetings, and providing support during bereavement (Picture 3).

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Sustainable Agriculture Extension Manual

Control

"Control" over resources means power that goes beyond simply use. It means power in both management and decision-making. Someone who controls a piece of land can rent it out to someone else, cut down the trees and plant crops on it, or even sell it. Control gives security to the user, so promotes long-term investment.

Integrating gender into development

Ignoring gender issues often leads to unwanted consequences (usually for women) and failed development efforts. Gender should therefore be considered in all aspects of development activities. By asking some simple but appropriate questions, it is possible to understand gender issues from the start.

Needs assessment (community diagnosis)

• Identify community activities and determine who does them: men, women, boys, girls (and older men and women). This helps to assess the possible participation of everyone.
• Establish the resources available within the community and who has access and control over them: men, women, boys, girls.
• Find out how decisions are made in the community and in households, and the roles of men, women, boys and girls in each.
• Articulate the development needs, constraints and opportunities for men, women and children.
• Assess the possible impact of the project on men, women and children.

Planning

• Ensure that the concerns and constraints recognized during the needs assessment are addressed, using stated criteria and procedures. Develop strategies that are responsive to the needs of both men and women.
• Develop projects that respond to the needs of men, women, boys and girls.

Implementation

• Ensure the participation of those with different types of workloads. Conduct a time-use analysis exercise to find out the best times and days for women, for instance, to participate in project activities such as training and meetings.
• Ensure the meaningful representation of both men and women in making decisions.

Monitoring and evaluation

• Develop indicators of the project performance for men, women, boys and girls. Adjust the project activities if necessary to ensure that the intended beneficiaries are reached, and to avoid unwanted effects on particular groups.
• Involve all stakeholders in monitoring the project performace, through record-keeping, review meetings, etc.

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