Increasing women farmers’ access to information in rural Uganda

Farming in sub-Saharan Africa is increasingly knowledge intensive. Small farmers often rely on informal exchanges to share information and knowledge on agricultural developments. What differences exist in the way women and men access information in farming communities in Uganda?

Collaborative research between the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Uganda Banana Research Program explores gender differences in the access and exchange of information about different agricultural technologies for improving banana growing in rural Uganda. The research uses information gathered in a survey of 400 banana growing households in 20 villages between 2003 and 2004.

Farmers in Uganda need to respond to a rapidly changing environment, including challenges related to population and environmental issues. However, formal agricultural extension services in the country are limited.

The research focuses on the role of social capital in spreading information about new agricultural technologies. Social capital describes the way people live and work together: the institutions, networks, relationships and customs that shape society’s interactions. Examples include civic engagement, social institutions, and family and friends.

Social capital plays a vital role in increasing a community’s capacity to exchange information and work together to address common problems. These include pest and disease infestations, drought and soil fertility. However, groups and networks can operate in ways that exclude or marginalise some members of the community.

The research identifies six social institutions important in rural Uganda: places of worship, market places, drinking clubs, weddings and other celebrations, school open days and village meetings. It also identifies activities to represent civic engagement including reading a newspaper and listening to radio.

The research explores the different experiences of female and male heads of households, in terms of participation in social institutions and civic engagement, and how this impacts on their access to; and dissemination of information.

Key findings of the research include:

• Social capital is an important influence on information exchange among rural households.
• Women and men differ in their access to different kinds of social capital - for example, women have less access than men to key social institutions: they attend market days less often, rarely participate in village meetings and are excluded from drinking clubs.
• Men are more likely to receive and provide information about agriculture than women.
• Formal extension services stimulate information exchange in the villages surveyed.

The research shows that, compared with men, women farmers in Uganda are disadvantaged in their access to information related to agricultural technologies. This disparity can largely be explained by differences in the way they participate in key social institutions and networks.

The implications of the research include:

• Development programmes need to acknowledge gender differences in access to different kinds of social capital so they do not worsen gender inequalities
• As both women and men join associations, group-based approaches to disseminating information on agricultural technologies should be encouraged.
• Groups with both female and male members would be beneficial.
• Information dissemination will work best through a combination of formal extension programmes and informal community-based approaches.

Source(s):
‘Gender, Social Capital and Information Exchange in Rural Uganda’, Journal of International Development 20 (1), pages 35-52, by Enid Katungi, Svetlana Edmeades and Melinda Smale, 2008
‘Gender, Social Capital and Information Exchange in Rural Uganda’ CAPRi Working Paper No. 59, by Enid Katungi, Svetlana Edmeades and Melinda Smale, October 2006 (PDF) Full document.

Funded by: Gatsby Charitable Foundation and International Food Policy Research Institute

id21 Research Highlight: 6 October 2008

Further Information:
Svetlana Edmeades
Sustainable Development Department
Latin America and Caribbean Region
World Bank
1818 H Street, NW
Washington DC 20433
USA

Tel: +1 202 473 1000
Fax: +1 202 477 6391
Contact the contributor: sedmeades@worldbank.org

Sustainable Development Department, Latin America and Caribbean Region, World Bank, Washington DC, USA

Enid Katungi
CIAT-Africa
Kawanda Agriculture Research Institute
Kampala
Uganda

Tel: +256 772 354 566
Fax: +256 041 566 381
Contact the contributor: e.katungi@cgiar.org

CIAT-Africa, Kawanda Agriculture Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda

Melinda Smale
Researcher
Agriculture and Trade
Oxfam America
1100 15th St., NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
USA

Contact the contributor: msmale@oxfamamerica.org

Oxfam America, Washington, DC, USA

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