Gender Aspects in Agriculture

Introduction

Agriculture employs over 40 percent of the labour force in many countries in Asia and the Pacific as well as over 60 percent of workforce in most of sub-Saharan Africa. In some countries in Asia over 60 percent of women are employed in agriculture and over 70 per cent in some sub-Saharan African countries. The role of gender within the agriculture and energy nexus is complex and context specific. However, in many developing countries women face similar challenges such as limited access to land, capital and, therefore, to agricultural inputs, i.e. seeds, fertilizers or technology. Enhancing women’s access to vital agricultural inputs such as irrigation technology can substantially boost their agricultural productivity and incomes. Improved access to energy services and technology for women is necessary to translate the benefits of access to electricity into wellbeing outcomes. Access to such energy services as refrigeration, water pumping and irrigation is crucial for generating benefits of productive uses of electricity for women. Solar pumps and irrigation and clean cooking fuels and technology can reduce drudgery and time involved in household and agricultural activities, and, thus, enhance access to income-generating opportunities and improve decision-making power of women. Read more…

Challenges

Women and girls in the Global South face similar gender-specific challenges throughout agricultural processes and practices. Some cultural norms and practices benefit men more than women by limiting economic opportunities for women or reducing their earnings. This presents a challenge to ensuring a more inclusive future. As an example, discriminatory land tenure systems restrain women’s access to land and reduce land ownership by women, while gender biased systems of credit allocation limit women’s access to capital.

Estimates indicate that women comprise over 25 percent of the agricultural labor force globally, this proportion being significantly higher in the Global South. For instance, in the majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa and some countries in Asia over 60 percent of women participate in agriculture. Furthermore, women are predominantly involved in subsistence agriculture, i.e. they earn no income from their work. Out-migration of men fom rural areas further increases the role of women in agriculture as well as the number of female-headed households. Yet, the challenge of unequal access to energy services, land, credits and agricultural inputs and technology remains widespread. These inequalities have a negative effect on agricultural productivity and efficiency, and broader rural development outcomes.

The labor burden of rural women includes a high proportion of unpaid household responsibilities, such as food preparation and the collection of fuel and water. Technologies such as solar water pumps and irrigation can reduce drudgery for women and translate the benefits of access to electricity into socio-economic outcomes. However, the issue of disproportionate access of women to capital, markets, skills, mobility as well as infrastructure and services should be addressed first. Taking into consideration the role of women in agriculture, it is crucial not only to incorporate women’s needs into the development of policies, programs and projects but to engage women in the design of technologies, policies and interventions to alleviate rural poverty. Read more...

Opportunities

Research shows that apart from enhancing household income and national economic growth, women’s empowerment in agriculture increases productivity. Recently, the need for gender inclusive approaches has been recognised. However, agricultural extension services have excluded women in the past. In order for extension services to not only include but even target women, extension services need to understand the constraints that women face, adapt trainings and communication materials accordingly, and actively involve women as role models. For instance, research has shown that female community trainers increase the number of women participating in extension activities. Including women as role models in extension services’ communication materials, such as videos, reduces gender stereotypes. Read more…

Improved access to energy services has a potential to enhance women’s social and economic situation by freeing up time for economic activities and participation in political and social life and improving access to public services, especially to healthcare and education. There are some direct as well as indirect benefits of access to public services, e.g. saving money and time on commuting to urban areas, more efficient use of light hours. The gender dimension of the agriculture-energy nexus concerns all stages within the agricultural value chain, from land distribution to access to credits and access to agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers. Thus, context-specific understanding of gender within the energy-agriculture nexus and integration of gender issues are essential for energy projects in developing and emerging countries. Read more…

Women are predominantly involved in subsistence agriculture, while men dominate the key sources of agricultural income. Reducing the gender gap has a potential to minimize poverty and improve nutritional outcomes. The collaborative report led by UN Women demonstrated that 238,000 people in Malawi, 80,000 people in Tanzania and 119,000 people in Uganda could be lifted out of poverty by closing the gender gap in agricultural productivity. Gender equity embedded in the policy making at all levels can improve access to basic services, including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). It is critical that women are involved in the design of facilities as well as their management and implementation, but also as far as it concerns renewable energy supply chain. This will help to reach parts of the SDG agenda, particularly education, work and gender equality.

Actors and Innovators

Solar panels are empowering women and girls in Cameroon

Women and girls in African rural communities are most vulnerable to the energy crisis due to traditional gender roles and barriers to access resources. The Green Girls Organization is working to bridge the gender gap in the green technology domain. It is committed to put women and girls at the forefront as solution providers to their problems, whilst promoting sustainable development in African rural communities. For three years, women and girls in Cameroon have been receiving solar panels and the trainings needed to maintain them. This gives women and girls the possibility to study after sunrise as well as lessen their economic burden as well as the need for cutting and gathering wood. Read more...

Solar power is helping women out of poverty in Nigeria and Tanzania

The organization Solar Sister believe women to be a key part of the solution to the clean energy challenge. They are also disproportionately shouldering the harmful effects of climate change and burden of energy poverty. That is why Solar Sister invest in women’s enterprise and help them start businesses selling solar products such as solar lamps and clean cook stoves. The women are mentored and provided with inventory that they can use themselves and personally describe the benefits. The women are bringing clean and renewable energy to their communities and earning income in the process. Read more…

Solar power saving delivering women’s lives in maternal health facilities

In Zimbabwe power outages force women to deliver by candlelight. Power blackouts threaten to worsen maternal mortality rates, which is estimates at 651 deaths per 100,000 live births. According to UNICEF, sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, account for 86 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. We Care Solar, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are working with the government in Zimbabwe to install solar power systems in clinics and hospitals nationwide. More than 4,000 health centers have been equipped with solar technology in Asia and Africa. UNDP and the health ministry have partnered on a Solar For Health Project and installed solar systems at 405 institutions across the country to ensure uninterrupted power, including at maternity wards. And during the last three years 136 maternal health facilities have been equipped with reliable lighting and electricity in Zimbabwe with the help of We Care Solar. Read more…

Solar-powered irrigation pumps benefitting by female smallholder farmers

Women are often responsible for watering agricultural fields. To help to reduce the need to haul water for irrigation manually, an NGO called International Development Enterprises (iDE) designs and develops low-cost technologies for water supply and irrigation, run by renewable energy together with another NGO called PRACTICA Foundation in LMIC countries.

iDE supports agricultural cooperatives headed by woman in its Nepal and Honduras sites and plans to recruit female farm business advisors for its Zambia pilot tests to teach the best irrigation practices to women smallholders. The efforts made led to the farmers achieving higher agricultural yields and income using the pumps. iDE wants to reach women through organized women’s groups serving as platforms through which women can engage with local products and services. Read more…

Empowering women from marginalized areas around the Lake Victoria region through climate smart technologies for sustainable livelihoods

A community-based organization, called Wised Kenya, has its vision to empower women and girls around the Lake Victoria region to raise their engagement in sustainable enterprises and economic development. It focusses on green energy enterprises and organic farming technologies, where women and girls are trained on entrepreneurship development, leadership and advocacy skills. Read more…

Case Studies

Women play an important role in agricultural production systems, but face challenges in accessing resources and in representation. If gender aspects in agriculture were taken stronger into account, the adaptation of innovations could accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The cases represented below demonstrate actions taken worldwide to reach this objective.

• Senegalese women entrepreneurs are supported to expand the local solar off-grid market. A program is enabling the collaboration between an importer and a local NGO. Read more…
• Firewood harvesting is a major threat to mangrove ecosystems in Solomon Islands. Improved cooking stoves could reduce firewood use and thereby ease pressure on mangroves. A field-based experiment in Langalanga Lagoon was conducted to evaluate this theory of change. Read more…
• The Women in Energy Enterprises in Kenya (WEE-K) project is strengthen women's capacity to effectively participate in and benefit from energy markets. The project uses an enterprise development model to empower women economically and provides tailor-made support to women entrepreneurs in market assessment. Read more…
• The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has conducted a study focusing on integrating gender in transitions to renewable energy in the Lower Mekong Region. Read more…

Publication and Tools

Gender and Water

In November 2012, IFAD published a report to examine the impact of water projects addressed to women and their role in water resource management. It shows the participation in decision-making by using experiences from IFAD-supported water projects. It focusses on gender issues and gives an overview on approaches on improving the development and effort in women’s access to water resources. Read more…

Gender Toolbox

Sida's Gender Toolbox provides knowledge, tools and inspiration on how to operationalize gender equality in development cooperation. A solid knowledge and method base is more important than ever due to an increased focus on gender equality in global development cooperation. The Gender Tool Box includes three different kinds of materials: Tools, Briefs and Thematic Overviews. The development context is constantly changing, and new priorities arise. Read more…

Aquastat

Since 2015, FAO's global water information system AQUASTAT has been adding sections on "women and irrigation" when updating country profiles. Sex-disaggregated data on agricultural water management is generally unavailable at the national level, and AQUASTAT aims to build on existing information to further develop key gender-related variables for inclusion in the database. Read more…

Developing Gender-Sensitive Value Chains- Guidelines for Practitioners

This publication is intended to assist practitioners in integrating gender equality dimensions more effectively in the design and implementation of value chain interventions in the agricultural sector. Read more…

The Gender in Agricultural Sourcebook

The Gender in Agricultural Sourcebook is part of The World Bank’s Agriculture and Rural Development publication series presenting recent analyses of issues that affect agriculture’s role as a source of economic development, rural livelihoods, and environmental services. The Sourcebook is the outcome of joint planning, continued interest in gender and agriculture, and concerted efforts by the World Bank, FAO, and IFAD. The purpose of the Sourcebook is to act as a guide for practitioners and technical staff in addressing gender issues and integrating gender-responsive actions in the design and implementation of agricultural projects and programs. Read more…

Renewable Energy: A Gender Perspective

Renewable energy employs about 32% women, compared to 22% in the energy sector overall. Still, within renewables, women’s participation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) jobs is far lower than in administrative jobs. This report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) examines the question of gender equity throughout sector. Building on a groundbreaking survey of employees, companies and institutions, it finds that much remains to be done to boost women’s participation and allow their talents to be fully utilized. IRENA estimates that the number of jobs in renewables could increase from 10.3 million in 2017 to nearly 29 million in 2050. The ongoing global energy transition offers the chance to create new jobs and reshape all aspects of how energy is produced and distributed. Renewables offer diverse opportunities along the value chain, requiring different skill sets. But these opportunities should be equally accessible, and the benefits equitably distributed, the report notes.Read more…

Capacity development for solar-powered irrigation

This edition, published by the international journal Rural 21, deals with the sustainable adaptation of water management by smallholder farmers in rural areas by focusing on solar-powered irrigation. In addition, this publication goes closer to the role of women in sustainable energy and entrepreneurship, presenting organizations, which trains girls and women to help to work in the solar industry Read more…

Understanding Gender Impact: A Lean Data How-To Guide

This publication by Unilever, Achumen and 60 decibels presents the Lean Data Gender Toolkit and how it was implemented during eight months to measure gender impacts across five projects in four countries.

The subsequent sections of the report detail the approach, surveys and methodology for the Lean DataSM Gender Toolkit and provide both project-level analysis and consolidated insights. The objective is to provide a simple, easy-to-use, and actionable approach to help businesses, program designers, and investors understand the gender dimension of poverty and the gender impact of companies and programs working with individuals living in poverty and across all income levels. The utility of this methodology and toolkit is not about getting more women as customers, but rather unlocking the potential of women as decision-makers, employees, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Read more…

The Intervention Guide for the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)

The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) is a joint effort of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), and USAID under the US Feed the Future Initiative. Is the first comprehensive and standardized measure of women’s empowerment and inclusion in the agricultural sector. Launched in 2012, the index aims to increase understanding of the linkages between women’s empowerment, agricultural productivity, and food security. By doing so, it helps to diagnose empowerment gaps, identify and prioritize interventions to close these gaps, and test the effectiveness of these interventions. Read more…

2019 Annual trends and outlook report: Gender equality in rural Africa: From commitments to outcomes

Gender-sensitive policy and programming have an integral role to play in fostering inclusive agricultural growth to meet the commitments of African countries to the Malabo Declaration goals. The 2019 Annual Trends and Outlook Report from ReSAKSS applies a gender lens to key issues that must be addressed to fully achieve these goals. Chapters examine the intersections between gender and (1) the context and institutions within which rural people operate; (2) the natural resources that men and women depend on for agriculture, sources of vulnerability, and resilience to shocks; (3) assets and income; and (4) livelihood strategies and wellbeing. The report serves as the official M&E report for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), tracking progress on over 30 CAADP indicators. Read more…

Gender Integration Summary Report 2016

The Gender Integration Summary Report 2016 summarizes Powering Agriculture’s innovators’ progress in integrating gender considerations into their projects. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Deployment of Clean Energy Solutions for Agriculture

The Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Deployment of Clean Energy Solutions (CES) for Agriculture enables innovators to develop strategies targeting both female and male clients. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide to Gender Responsive Product Development

There are five stages to the product development process; each stage has unique gender considerations. This guide describes these stages and points out gender consideration strategies that can be applied to each. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Financing of Clean Energy Solutions

Access to financing continues to be a challenge for women. In most countries, the share of female smallholders who can access credit is 5-10 percent lower than for male smallholders. Unlocking demand for a technology at a relatively low risk can be accomplished by developing and facilitating access to gender-responsive financial products via partnerships with existing financial institutions or in-house programs. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in the Marketing of Clean Energy Solutions to Agricultural Users

This guide assists in developing a marketing approach that encompasses both female and male users, and is based on international best practices in gender-responsive marketing. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of Clean Energy Solutions

This guide outlines why integrating gender into monitoring and evaluation (M&E) makes good commercial sense, and the best practices for integrating gender into the M&E of clean energy solutions. Read more…

A Powering Agriculture Guide on Integrating Gender in Human Resource Processes

This guide aligns with four general human resources (HR) lifecycle phases: 1) Workforce Planning, 2) Talent Acquisition, 3) Training and 4) Retention, and provides information and questions to be considered when identifying ways in which gender integration can be strengthened in each phase. Read more…