Women overlooked in agricultural development

by Josephat Juma

A recent poll revealed that 50 percent of Kenyan men would prefer women who earn less than them, and only 35 percent of the men would prefer women who earn the same as them. Furthermore, 45 percent of the men would prefer women with the same education as men; 20 percent would be happy with less educated women; and 50 percent would prefer women who worked part time while only 39 percent would prefer women who worked full time.

These women, who ought to earn less, learn less and work on part time basis are responsible for half of the world’s food production and produce between 60 and 80 percent of the food in most developing countries(FAO). Women sow, weed, apply fertilizer and pesticides. Once the harvest is in, rural women provide most of the labour for post harvest activities, taking responsibility for storage, handling, processing and marketing. In the livestock sector, they feed and milk the large stock, while raising poultry and small stock such as sheep, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. In spite of all this effort, some women interviewed in Eastern Kenya said that their husbands took the income gained, leaving them with no control over the spending.

Their contribution to secondary crops such as legumes and vegetables (important in nutrition as well as economic well being), is even greater. In Eastern Nigeria, home gardens occupy only 2 percent of a household’s farmland but account for half the farm's total production. Similarly, home gardens in Indonesia are estimated to provide more than 20 percent of household income and 40 percent of domestic food supplies.

How shall they contribute to the backbone of Africa’s economies if they earn less? If they got more income, they will exit the traditional hand-held hoe and embrace tractors. Village farming with hand-held hoes and sickles still accounts for 75 percent of Africa’s food production and an estimated 90 percent of farmers use only hand tools and human labour to work their lands. Animal draught power and tractors are used on only 8 percent and 2 percent respectively of the cultivated land. More income will ensure that they don’t walk to the market but rather buy bicycles or pick-up vans to enable them transport their produce to the market, or access farm input centres.

If they got more education, they will realize that they need to work with the profit motive in mind. Consequently, they will adopt technologies that ensure more output at little cost such as the no till methods and the use of improved seed varieties and pesticides. More education will ensure that they practice proper crop and chemical stewardship. Education will make them more informed of better markets for their products and how to add value to them. FAO (1999) reports that women have little access to the benefits of research and innovation.

In spite of their massive contribution to agriculture and food security in sub-Saharan Africa, women are continually overlooked in agricultural development. Women’s engagement in agricultural science, technology and innovation systems in Africa (only 18 percent of researchers are women) is low. Increasing their engagement, quantitatively and qualitatively, will contribute to achieving the desired transformation in the agricultural sector. Their contribution will be much greater if they have equal access to essential resources and services. In many societies, tradition and laws bar women from owning land. Without land to serve as collateral, women are cut off from access to credit. And without credit, they often cannot buy essential inputs – such as seeds, tools and fertilizer – or invest in irrigation and land improvements.

A marketplace that is free will give women more choices and remove the obstacles they face. This will yield a triple harvest – improving their lives; allowing them to put their labour, knowledge and creativity to work more productively and feeding Africa. It is not a matter of who is better-but combined effort to keep the agricultural engine running!

The African Executive