Empowering Women at the First Km Gender-Based Constraints and Opportunities for Agricultural Information
Current Situation
T he Work of Women
Constraints of Women Farmers Impacts of environmental degradation
Few Assets Land ownership Cash and marketing opportunities
Social constraints Low education levels Limited mobility
Gender relations Unequal power Patriarchy
Marginalization from extension services
Why does the current system fail women farmers? 1. Supply driven R and D systems
2. Predominance of male extension agents
3. Lack of organizational capacity for social and gender analysis Director Plant breeder AgronomistForester
4. Few female professionals with skills and power to influence organizational policies, plans and budgets.
An alternative approach: Putting women farmers at the center
by p artnering professional and rural women to achieve gender equality in agricultural systems
Strategy : Build Women Champions For organizational change for advocacy
and for decision making at all levels.
HOW : Leadership for Women Provide training for professional and rural women on: Communication skills Negotiation skills Advocacy skills Confidence building Skills for agro-enterprise
HOW: Build Men’s Support Leadership training on how to support women leaders Encouraging heads of organizations to support organizational change
HOW: Build Enabling Environments through Organizational Change Build technical capacity in gender mainstreaming and social/gender analysis
Develop professionals to act as ‘brokers’ between the organizations and rural women’s groups
Develop organizational accountability through gender policies and structures
and develop supportive organizational cultures: changing norms, values and attitudes.