Transcript Promoting active learning

African women and
agricultural Development
Week 11
Objectives
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To discuss the role of women in agricultural
development
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Explain some of the barriers for women’s participation
in agricultural development
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Identify some organization assisting women in
agricultural development
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Discuss the role of governments in women’s
participation in agricultural development efforts.
introduction
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Women farmers are the pillars of African agriculture.
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According to the UN FAO two thirds of all women in Africa
are employed in the agricultural sector and
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produce nearly 90 percent of food on the continent.
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They are responsible for growing, selling, buying and preparing food for
their families.
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Yet even as the guardians of food security, they are still
marginalized in business relations and
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have minimal control over access to resources such as
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land,
inputs such as improved seeds and fertilizer, credit and technology.
The roles of Women in Development
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Approximately 66 percent of rural residents are women
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This indicates the central roles of rural women in agriculture
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And the necessity to securing their participation in agricultural
development efforts
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Women need to be recognized as farmers in their own right.
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The migrant labor system has served to supplement rural incomes
but it has also resulted in
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a high number of female-headed households
Seasonal labor shortages
Increased workload for women
The roles of Women in development…..
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This provide women with great influence over household and
farm decision making
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Decline in formal employment opportunities has a significant
negative effect of cash remittances
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Their access to and control over household resources remains marginal
Which contribute on average to 10 percent of communal farmer’s
household incomes
The low productivity of subsistence agriculture and the lack
of alternative employment opportunities leads to
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Food insecurity for many households
Increased dependency of rural households on social security benefits
The role of Women in development…(3)
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Social changes and economic marginalization not affect
female-headed households
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but have worsens the living standards of other vulnerable
groups such as:
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Landless, unemployed youth
The elderly
Farm laborers
African Governments efforts and Women
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Most governments acknowledge the constraints and
discriminatory practices facing many
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female-headed households and the youth in rural areas
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The role of women in agricultural development has been reemphasized
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Their participation in agricultural organization and related
institutions has been assured
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The existing social norms and values relating to women and
gender discrimination has been changed in many
constitution on the African continent.
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Women are being assisted in overcoming constraints to their
participation in development efforts.
Development constraints for women
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Women need to be assisted in overcoming constraints to
their participation in development efforts related to the
following:
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Lack of knowledge
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Limited access to land
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Lack of security of tenure
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Discriminatory laws
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Shortages of labor
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Poor access to services and finance
Challenges for African Women
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A combination of logistical, cultural, and economic
factors, coupled with a lack of gender statistics in
the agricultural sector,
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mean that agricultural programs are rarely
designed with women’s needs in mind.
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As a result, African women farmers have no voice
in the development of agricultural policies
designed to improve their productivity.
Challenges for African Women….
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Engagement in policy processes is reserved for government and
the literate,
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but literacy levels are as low as 40 percent in some African
countries.
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In Malawi female literacy is at a low of 49.8 percent and in Mozambique it is
even lower at 32.7 percent.
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Africa has an oral culture and yet we do not talk enough – at local,
national or regional levels.
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The dialogue concerning agricultural issues is happening at the
international level,
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where a few speak for the majority, and not on behalf of the majority.
Program for Women
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AWARD:
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African Women in Agricultural Research and Development
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It is a professional development program that strengthens
the research and leadership skills of African women in
agricultural science,
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empowering them to contribute more effectively to poverty
alleviation and food security in sub-Saharan Africa.
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AWARD offers two-year fellowships focused on
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mentoring partnerships,
science skills, and
Leadership development
AWARD
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60 outstanding women agricultural scientists from 10
African countries received the fellowship
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A project of the CGIAR’s Gender & Diversity Program,
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AWARD is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation and USAID
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AWARD is striving to create such conditions by
empowering the continent’s women who are best
poised to bring about long term solutions.
AWARD….
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Recent stats reveal that 80 percent of Africa’s farmers
are women
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80 to 90 percent of Africa’s food is produced by
women.
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Yet, according to AWARD Director Vicki Wilde,
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only 5 percent of agricultural extension and 10 percent of rural credit
reaches women.
Part of the reason this longstanding situation has not changed is
because
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women comprise only 25 percent of the agricultural R&D talent pool and
very few hold positions of leadership.
Women Agricultural Professionals…
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Recent research conducted by AWARD and
Agricultural Science and Technology (ASTI) in 15
African countries
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shows that between 2000 and 2008,
the number of African women professionals employed in the
agricultural sciences grew by 8 percent per year,
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while the number of African men grew by 2 percent per year.
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However, women still represent less than one quarter of
Africa’s scientists holding positions in institutions of agricultural
research,
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and less than one in seven (14 percent) leadership positions is
held by a woman.
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USAID Funding
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USAID availed funds to the Gender & Diversity Program (G&D) of
the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
(CGIAR)
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under two fellowship programs geared towards enhancing
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for an evaluation of the activities it has supported
the science capacity and
leadership skills of African women agricultural scientists.
Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural
Science and Technology Fellows Program
Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural
Science and Technology Fellows Program
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USAID has provided funding since September 2005 to support the
Africa Women in Science (WIS) component of USDA.
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This component pairs African women agricultural scientists with
Mentors at US universities for a period of about four to six weeks
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to conduct collaborative research on a topic of mutual interest.
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Funds designated by USAID to support 35 Africa WIS Borlaug
fellowships.
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A follow up visit by the Mentor to the fellow’s home country is also
part of the standard Borlaug fellowship
Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural
Science and Technology Fellows Program….
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In addition, at USAID’s request, G&D’s women’s leadership and
management course and G&D’s electronic networking have been
added to this component of the Borlaug Fellows program.
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Since 2005 a total of fifteen of the proposed 35 Africa WIS
Borlaug Fellows have participated in some aspect of the WIS
fellowship program.
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Detailed information about the WIS component and the complete
Borlaug fellowship program is available at:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/icd/borlaug/borlaug.htm.
G&D Rockefeller fellowship program
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Launched in 2005 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Syngenta
Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture,
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a pilot fellowship program
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to enhance the careers of East African women crop scientists from the
Kenyan, Tanzanian and Ugandan NARS
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providing formal mentoring by a senior scientist as well as leadership and
negotiations training and electronic networking with women in science
worldwide.
The funds also allow the fellows
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to attend two international science conferences during their two year fellowship program and
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to practice their leadership skills by mentoring a junior woman scientist from within or outside their own
institution during their second year,
thus expanding the benefits of the program to more individuals and including more
institutions.
More information on the program is available at:
http://www.genderdiversity.cgiar.org/resource/women_fellowhips.asp.
Women advancement in Agricultural development
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Agricultural development and growth in rural areas depends upon
having reliable and timely access to essential services such as:
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Extension advice
Research results and recommendations,
Credit for women
Farm inputs for women
Veterinary care services in rural areas
Quarantine facilities
Domestic marketing and export facilities
Market information services
The provision of these services requires to reduce the structural
imbalances for women.
Government solution
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Should provide a favorable
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political environment
Enabling economic policies
Incentives to encourage the private sector to invest in agriculture
Provide essential agricultural development services in the most
efficient and profitable manner
Strengthen relationships and cooperation with regional and
international institutions involved in agriculture
Technology and skills transfer to ensure self-reliance and
sustainability of the agricultural sector in the long run.
Use donor assistance effectively and efficiently to pursue goals and
objectives of women participation in agricultural development.
The governments should ensure transparent use of donor’s
assistance and full accountability.
Summary
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Women should be supported in developmental agenda
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African governments should ensure that policies formulated allow women
participation
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Governments should acknowledge the constraints and discriminatory
practices facing many female-headed households in rural areas and act
on these constraints
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Governments should be effective and efficient in using donor funding for
agricultural development
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Values and norms relating to women and gender discrimination must be
changed
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Women must be assisted in overcoming constraints to their participation
in development efforts.
Quiz Questions
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11.
What is the percent of women involved in agriculture in Africa and how much do they account
for food production?
[5 points]
What are some of problem associated with migrant labor systems?
[10 points]
What are the problem associated with low agricultural productivity of subsistence farming and
lack of alternative employment in rural areas?
[5 points]
Name and use examples of how social changes and economic marginalization affects
households?
[20 points]
Name and explain some of the major constraints for African women regarding agricultural
development?
[20 points]
What does AWARD stands for? Briefly, outlines it work.
[10 points]
Has the number of African women professionals increased? Justify your answer.[10 points]
What is the relationship between the Norman E. Borlaug and WIS?
[20 points]
What is the G&D Rockefeller Fellowship Program?
[10 points]
What are the essential services needed for women to advance in agricultural development?
[10 points]
What roles should governments play to achieve these essential services?
[20 points]