1. 1 Gender Issues in Agriculture Statistics Tashkent, 11-15 July 2005

2. 2 Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Global mandate to be source for agricultural statistics UN mandate as a focal point for rural women World Census on Agriculture Framework  Assist countries by providing definitions, concepts, standards and guidelines  Advice on conducting agricultural censuses  Collect and disseminate statistics (FAOSTAT)

3. 3 FAO Agricultural Census Items 1. Total number and area of agricultural holdings 2. Number and area of holdings classified by size of area of holding 3. Fragmentation of holdings into separate parcels 4. Legal status of the holder 5. Land tenure of holdings 6. Area of holdings by tenure of land operated

4. 4 FAO Agricultural Census Items 7. Members of holder's household, including holder, by sex 8. Employment in agriculture 9. Land use 10. Temporary crops (on arable land) 11. Permanent crops 12. Livestock

5. 5 Analysing Gender Relations Ask basic questions to arrive at an understanding of the structure and dynamics of the rural farm household or agricultural holding: Who does what? Who owns what? Who has access to/controls what (i.e., which productive assets)? Who knows what? Who benefits? Who should be included in development programmes (and how)?

6. 6 Table 1. FAO Proposed Core Set of Gender-Sensitive Indicators from Agricultural Census Data Gender Analysis QuestionIndicator Who does what? Role of women in agriculture Ratio of males-females economically active in the labour force Difference in average of median age of males and females economically active in agriculture Who owns what? Ownership of agricultural land Share of agricultural holdings that are female headed Difference in median age of male and female heads of holdings Who has access to/controls what? Use of farm machinery and equipment Use of fertilizer Use of agricultural pesticides Ratio of male and female headed holdings that use farm equipment Ratio of male and female-headed holdings that use fertilizer Ratio of male and female-headed holdings that use agricultural pesticide

7. 7 Main Sources of Agricultural Statistics Agricultural censuses Linked surveys Population and housing censuses Administrative records Other general surveys

8. 8 Gender-related agricultural statistics: problems Cash crop production determines the minimum size for measured agricultural holdings In population surveys and censuses, the participation of women in agriculture is largely underreported Concept of land holder Biases in collection…

9. 9 Common Biases Typical causes of error include….

10. 10 Inadequate Definitions and Concepts Fail to reflect gender differentiations accurately Definitions include:  Head of agricultural holding  Economic activity

11. 11 FAO Definition of Holder Holder: “a civil or juridical person who makes major decisions regarding resource use and exercises management control over the agricultural holding operation. The holder has technical and economic responsibility for the holding and may undertake all responsibilities directly, or delegate responsibilities related to day-to-day work management to a hired manager.”

12. 12 Erroneous Wording of Questions Many women not recorded due to badly worded question Example: work construed only as remunerated activity => women not listed as workers of agricultural holding

13. 13 ILO Definition of Paid and Unpaid Work Paid Unpaid Economically active Production of services Outside SNA Production of goods Inside SNA

14. 14 Selecting the Wrong Respondent Example: male respondents may report women who are actually working on a agricultural holding as being economically inactive

15. 15 Using the Wrong Interviewer Interviewers can introduce biases and personal values in the way they formulate questions Can be the result of :  Own prejudices  Insufficient training  Simple carelessness

16. 16 Communication Problems Respondents might fail to understand content/language of questionnaire Interviewers may establish poor rapport through verbal (inappropriate language) or non-verbal (body language) channels

17. 17 Obscuring the Truth Respondents deliberately give the wrong answer:  To meet social norm  Fearful of consequences of response Example (African): man deliberately denies that wife works with oxen due to social taboo

18. 18 FAO suggested actions Collect data about individuals rather than entities (farm or holding) Use ILO definition of economic activity Make subsistence agriculture more visible Promote the measurement of secondary activities

19. 19 FAO suggested actions Ensure that agricultural holdings are identified through the households concerned Improve linkages between the population census and the agricultural census Develop standard criteria to determine the minimum size of holdings covered Ensure that multiple holdings are not amalgamated into one holding and that joint holders are identified

20. 20 Further Information www.fao.org Mr John Curry Gender and Development Service FAO Gender and Population Division John.Curry@fao.org