Empowering Women at the First Km

Gender-Based Constraints and Opportunities for Agricultural Information

Current Situation

The 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

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 partnering 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.