GENDER DIVERSITY IN SOIL FERTILITY MANAGEMENT FOR YAM PRODUCTION IN GHANA; THE CASE OF EJURA SEKYEREDUMASE DISTRICT West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Ghana) NCoS for Root and Tuber Regional Conference Jonas Osei-Adu (CSIR-CRI) Mavis Akom, Stella Ama Ennin, Emmanuel Otoo, Edward Yeboah, Flex Frimpong, Eric Owusu Danquah 2 nd - 6 th May, 2016 Kumasi-Ghana

What is Gender ? Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and status of women and men, girls and boys (Njuki et al;2011) It is a set of culturally specific characteristics defining the social behavior of women and men, and the relationship between them (Njuki et al;2011)

Gender inequality and mainstreaming Gender inequality can be a significant constraint to economic growth and poverty reduction (Njuki et al; 2013) Gender mainstreaming is define as both a technical and political process which requires shifts in organisational cultures and ways of thinking, as well as in the goals, structures, and resources allocation of international agencies, government, and NGOs.' (Kardam 1998)

Purpose and objectives of study Literature on gender diversity in soil fertility management is limited preventing the mainstreaming of gender issues This study was therefore to generate data on; Preferred management options Gender roles Female participation in decision making

Methodology Study area This study took place in the Ejura Sekyedumase municipal in the Ashanti region of Ghana Sampling technique The multi-stage sampling procedure was used to sample a total of 100 farmers across 10 communities in the district. The first stage was the purposive selection of Ejura Sekyeredumase district as a major yam growing district in the country. The second stage was the random selection 10 farmers across 10 communities communities for face-to-face interviews using a standard questionnaire. Analytical method Data was analysed using frequency tables and graphs

Table 1: Preferred soil fertility management options Table 1: Preferred soil fertility management options Practice/technologyAdult Male (%)Adult female(%)Youth (%) Planting of cover crops No tillage Mulching inorganic fertilizer Manure Inter cropping Shifting cultivation Crop rotation734243

Table2: Gender Roles in soil Fertility management Practice/technologyMen only(%) Women only (%) Both (%) Raising capital Purchasing an option Implementation of option Provision of food during implementation Attend training on management options

Women participation in soil fertility management decision making

Conclusion The role of women in soil fertility management will need to be improved beyoung the provision of meals for farm labour to ensure they contribute to the generation of income Mainstreaming gender into Research for Development (R4D) should be a collective responsibility and not just for women

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