1. Gender in agricultural planning processes of South Asian governments: Attention or Neglect?
Ranjani.K.Murthy, 2015
Consultant: Gender, Equity and Development
UN Women Book Release –Gender and Evaluation
Evaluation Conclave, 2015
Kathmandu, Nepal

2. Objective
Agric/allied plans
IFAD
CEDAW
Beijing

3. Beijing, CEDAW and IFAD commitments/policies on gender and agriculture
Rural women's equal rights to:
land/land reform measures
finance
extension
technologies
benefits
markets
Decision making in household, collective institutions and networks.
Reduction in drudgery of women's work.
Counting of women’s unpaid work in agriculture
Collective rights
*WATSAN, sharing, agriculture drudgery

4. What was reviewed?
Gender equality and women’s empowerment (GEWE) in agricultural plans of 8 South Asian countries
(Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka)

5. Main Findings The objectives of 1 out of 8 agri. plans refer to GEWE
The context section of 5/ 8 agriculture plans refer to women in agriculture; but only 2 on GEWE
Male migration recognised; but not conversion of agriculture land
The strategies of 6/8 refer to some gender issues- but only 2 comprehensively - assets/resources and decision making
No reference to reducing drudgery or recognition of unpaid work
Only 1 of 8 agri plans has separate programme line for women
Bangladesh and India

6. Why?
Involvement of Ministry of Women in agricultural planning not reported
No engagement of women farmers and women’s NGOs (agri.) reported
No mention of gender strategy within agric. plan
Only 2 of 8 plans refer to gender structures within agriculture departments
Only 2 of 8 have a strategy for increasing proportion of women staff; and strengthening safety
Only 1 of 8 mentions sex disaggregated data
Women’s presence in agriculture universities/research
*Bhutan and India -Gender Resource Center or Directorate for Women in Agriculture -gender structure. Bangladesh and bhutan staff. Bhutan- mis

7. Does it matter?
Efficiency
Welfare
Women’s rights

8. Ways forward
CEDAW, Beijing, SDGs and IFAD gender policy integrate into agriculture planning
Civil society monitoring of CEDAW Concluding 0bservations on agriculture
Address gaps and replicate good practices
Look at the larger political economy- land to agriculture, agriculture growth, sustainabillity

9. Good practices
Apart from inheritance and rights of land acquired during marriage
Rights of women from landless families to homesteads and land from land reforms
Collective rights to land and commons, right to extension, credit, crop insurance, IT and markets
Equal voice in agri. decision making forums,
Access to drudgery reduction tools and technologies; occupational health and engage with men
Counting women’s unpaid work in agriculture
Women in producer companies/coops and value chains
Women in agricultural education