Women and agricultural productivity: Reframing the Issues

Abstract

Should agricultural development programmes target women in order to increase productivity? This article analyzes the challenges in distinguishing women's agricultural productivity from that of men. Most of the literature compares productivity on plots managed by women with those managed by men, ignoring the majority of agricultural households in which men and women are both involved in management and production. The empirical studies which have been carried out provide scant evidence for where the returns to projects may be highest, in terms of who to target. Yet, programmes that do not consider gendered responsibilities, resources and constraints, are unlikely to succeed, either in terms of increasing productivity or benefitting men and women smallholder farmers.

Untangling gender differentiated food security gaps in Bhutan: An application of exogenous switching treatment regression

“…Based on the previous studies (De Brauw, ; Doss, ; Fuwa, ; Kassie et al., ; Kassie et al., ; Kieran et al., ; Quisumbing et al., ; Quisumbing & Maluccio, ; Quisumbing & Pandolfelli, ; Sraboni et al., ), we designed the conceptual framework of our study (see Figure ). Food insecurity is a serious problem facing the developing countries and is associated not only with economic factors but also with social values, culture, and gender.…”

“…Achieving gender parity by 2030 is one of the major objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). For this reason a clearer understanding of gender issues including gendered responsibilities, resources and constraints, is imperative to ensure the welfare of female-headed households in developing countries, who are in general considered in the poorest-of-the-poor group (Bastos, Casaca, Nunes, & Pereirinha, 2009;Doss, 2018;Elmelech & Lu, 2004;Fuwa, 2000;Mallick & Rafi, 2010;World Bank, 2012). It is often pointed out that women in developing countries are mostly excluded from inheriting land and land ownership (Kieran, Sproule, Doss, Quisumbing, & Kim, 2015;World Bank, 2012); they own significantly fewer agricultural production assets than men (Quisumbing, Haddad, & Peña, 2001;Quisumbing & Maluccio, 2003;Quisumbing, Roy, Njuki, Tanvin, & Waithanji, 2013;Sraboni, Malapit, Quisumbing, & Ahmed, 2014) and in general, have less access to information and agricultural extension services than men (Quisumbing, 2010;Quisumbing & Pandolfelli, 2010).…”

“…Given the fact that because of gender-differentiated access to productive assets including land and agricultural information, and the responsibilities of the female in maintaining the household including household chores and child care, FHHs are found to be more food insecure than MHHs (Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], 2011;Mallick & Rafi, 2010;Quisumbing et al, 2001). However, not all FHHs can be equally disadvantaged and food insecure (Doss, 2018;FAO, 2011). For example, de jure FHHs (i.e., divorced, separated or widowed FHHs) can be more food insecure and vulnerable compared with de facto FHHs (i.e., when the husband has migrated for work), because de jure FHHs are mostly single income earners (FAO, 2011;Fuwa, 2000).…”

Corporate social responsibility and the role of rural women in sustainable agricultural development in sub‐Saharan Africa: Evidence from the Niger Delta in Nigeria

“…Hence, women are vulnerable to poverty because most of them have limited access to agricultural land and their participation in the GMoUs programmes is often through their husbands or adult sons . As critically engaged in Section 2.2, the extant literature has failed to assess the relevance of GMoUs programmes in African agriculture within the framework gender equality (see Akpan, 2006;Alfred, 2013;Collins, 2015;Doss, 2018;Edoho, 2008;Efobi, Tanankem, & Asongu, 2018;Eweje, 2006;Frynas, 2009;Idemudia, 2014;Jafry & Sulaiman, 2013;Lompo & Trani, 2013;Mukasa & Salami, 2016;Renouard & Lado, 2012;Sharaunga, Mudhara, & Bogale, 2015;Tuodolo, 2009;Uduji & Okolo-Obasi, 2017;Uduji, Okolo-Obasi, & Asongu, 2018c). 1 Background information and more insights into the GMoU are provided in Section 2.1.…”

Confronting Climate Change Challenges to Dryland Cereal Production: A Call for Collaborative, Transdisciplinary Research, and Producer Engagement

“…It must also be recognized that women led small-holder households are a significant segment of the developing world's farming sector; and are often subject to gender discrimination and lack of support from agricultural public institutions and private sector supply chains (Chan, 2010;Doss, 2017). These challenges are compounded by the limited health and education infrastructures and services that are characteristic of poor, rural small-holder communities (Lowder et al, 2016).…”