Empowering Women through Livelihoods Orientated Agricultural Service Provision: A Consideration of Evidence from Southern Africa

This paper considers the impact of livelihoods-oriented agricultural service provision for smallholder farmers on gender relationships and food security. The author suggests that the democratisation and liberalisation of agricultural services towards participatory, bottom-up approaches, from the early 1990s has benefited women. Through a range of interventions, initially driven by Non-Governmental-Organisations (NGOs) and subsequently adopted within public programmes, women have gained entitlements, including new knowledge of crop production, access to informal markets and adaptable and affordable technologies, as well as a legitimate role in farmers’ cooperatives and organisations. Through their strengthened legal status and organisational position, women have gained better access to finance and loan package.

Evidence of these gains is examined based on case studies in Malawi and Zambia and supporting evidence from Zimbabwe and South Africa. The impact of these gains is especially evident in the significant expansion of those crops in which women have secured entitlements (in terms of labour, trade and production), notably legumes, vegetables and root and tubers. While the growth in the production of these crops has contributed towards more sustainable livelihoods, it has not translated into improved food security. The paper argues that food security in these countries remains conditional on maize production, a male controlled crop which underpins patriarchal power and political patronage. Until women are afforded full entitlement to produce and own maize, the attainment of food security will remain gender contested.

Adapted from source