Gender Effect on Adoption of Selected Improved Rice Technologies in Ghana

Abstract

The study sought to test the hypothesis that gender influences adoption of innovations in the rice sector of Ghana. There is an existence of gender gap in adoption of farm innovations in Ghana. After desk review, it was found that the existing literature has not provided a clear linkage between gender and adoption of agricultural technologies. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine how the interaction between gender and other socio-economic factors influence the incidence of adoption of improved rice variety and fertilizer. Drawing on 917 face-to-face interviews with rice producers, the results show that child care and limited access to land inhibit female incidence of adoption. It is recommended that the innovation system should take cognizance of female reproductive role and develop, as much as possible, technology options that rely less on intensive use of labour. Furthermore, government should facilitate the development of land markets to improve female access to land, especially in northern Ghana where cultural norms restrict women's access to land.

Impact of improved agricultural extension approaches on technology adoption: Evidence from a randomised controlled trial in rural Tunisia

“…Ragasa et al (2012) recorded a gender gap in adoption of agricultural technologies. Previous studies showed that gender negatively and significantly influences adoption of improved agricultural technologies (Mugonolaa et al, 2013;Kassa et al, 2014;Namonje-Kapembwa and Chapoto, 2016;Addison et al, 2018). This is due to the unequal access to resource and information between women and men (Kabunga et al, 2012;Mugonolaa et al, 2013;Fisher and Kandiwa, 2014).…”

“…Interactions between the treatment and gender dummies are significant and positive in Panels A-C, but significant and negative in Panel D. This finding suggests that the female empowerment training combined with the technical training (treatment T4) had a positive effect on adoption of Kounouz for the female head of household in Panel D. This result implies the additional effect of female head of households on adoption of Kounouz when they attended training modules. Accordingly, decisionmakers and extension services should make appropriate decisions on the timing and location of training to ensure high attendance rates of female heads of households by not interfering with women's involvementin domestic activities (Addison et al, 2018). Education of farmers has been assumed to have a positive influence on farmers' decision to adopt modern technology insofar as it increases their ability to obtain, process and use information relevant to adoption of a new technology (Lavison, 2013;Namara et al, 2013;Wainaina et al, 2016).…”

Gender differences in the adoption of agricultural technology: The case of improved maize varieties in southern Ethiopia

“…Some studies such as Tanellari, Kostandini, Bonabana-Wabbi, & Murray, 2014, or Addison, Aidoo, & Ohene-Yankyera, 2018, go beyond headship and look at the difference in technology adoption at the plot-manager level, using the sex of individual farmers as the gender indicator; however, this approach fails to consider gender difference in agricultural settings where plots are managed jointly by male and female farm household members and also the role of decision making in technology adoption. Thus it may lead to an incorrect policy prescription.…”

Social cultural factors as key determinants of agricultural technology adoption: the case of new rice for Africa (NERICA) adoption in Migori County, Kenya

“…The findings are unclear on the role of men and women in the adoption process and household decision-making (bonbana-Wabi, 2002). Similarly, Addison et al (2018) report that more men can adopt agricultural technologies because they can attend workshops and move around more, hence able to access information on new technologies as compared to women who are around the homes and limited to information access. On the same note, assert that women are more flexible and patient; they work on their farms more and can adopt technologies that may require a lot of labor.…”