Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia

Improved forages of genus Brachiaria and Panicum grasses were introduced to men and women farmers in western Kenya and southern Ethiopia. To provide an understanding of the social and demographic characteristics of farming systems, a household survey was implemented in 2018/2019. In 2020, a compleme...

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Autores principales: Njuguna-Mungai, Esther, Omondi, Immaculate A., Galiè, Alessandra, Jumba, Humphrey, Bezabih, Melkamu, Paul, Birthe K., Zenebe, Mesfin, Juma, Alfred, Duncan, Alan J.
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Wiley 2022
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116391
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author Njuguna-Mungai, Esther
Omondi, Immaculate A.
Galiè, Alessandra
Jumba, Humphrey
Bezabih, Melkamu
Paul, Birthe K.
Zenebe, Mesfin
Juma, Alfred
Duncan, Alan J.
author_browse Bezabih, Melkamu
Duncan, Alan J.
Galiè, Alessandra
Juma, Alfred
Jumba, Humphrey
Njuguna-Mungai, Esther
Omondi, Immaculate A.
Paul, Birthe K.
Zenebe, Mesfin
author_facet Njuguna-Mungai, Esther
Omondi, Immaculate A.
Galiè, Alessandra
Jumba, Humphrey
Bezabih, Melkamu
Paul, Birthe K.
Zenebe, Mesfin
Juma, Alfred
Duncan, Alan J.
author_sort Njuguna-Mungai, Esther
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Improved forages of genus Brachiaria and Panicum grasses were introduced to men and women farmers in western Kenya and southern Ethiopia. To provide an understanding of the social and demographic characteristics of farming systems, a household survey was implemented in 2018/2019. In 2020, a complementary qualitative study was conducted to understand: (a) gender dynamics in accessing forage planting materials: (b) role of forage trait preferences, and (c) how the introduction of forage varieties influences gender relations in households. Forage seed/splits were accessed through women's groups. In Kenya, men and women were advised to source more forage seeds from private seed companies for scaling. In Ethiopia, men prioritized “fast regrowth” and women “nutritious biomass” traits; in Kenya, men prioritized “nutritious biomass” and women “how fast forage splits could be established” traits. The sale of the forage cuttings appeared to provide promising marketing opportunities for women, who were able to control the income generated. The introduction of improved forages, which are grown close to homesteads, reduced the time men and boys spent grazing livestock while increasing the time women and girls spent harvesting fodder. Following gender sensitivity training provided alongside forage introductions, Ethiopian men reported being involved in forage harvesting, chopping, and feeding against prevailing norms while the Kenyan women took on greater decision‐making roles. These positive outcomes in gender equity suggest that the integration of gender and forage technology trainings can secure significant gains not only for women, but also for the men in the households.
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spelling CGSpace1163912025-11-13T10:39:03Z Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia Njuguna-Mungai, Esther Omondi, Immaculate A. Galiè, Alessandra Jumba, Humphrey Bezabih, Melkamu Paul, Birthe K. Zenebe, Mesfin Juma, Alfred Duncan, Alan J. animal feeding forage panicum grasses gender women livestock Improved forages of genus Brachiaria and Panicum grasses were introduced to men and women farmers in western Kenya and southern Ethiopia. To provide an understanding of the social and demographic characteristics of farming systems, a household survey was implemented in 2018/2019. In 2020, a complementary qualitative study was conducted to understand: (a) gender dynamics in accessing forage planting materials: (b) role of forage trait preferences, and (c) how the introduction of forage varieties influences gender relations in households. Forage seed/splits were accessed through women's groups. In Kenya, men and women were advised to source more forage seeds from private seed companies for scaling. In Ethiopia, men prioritized “fast regrowth” and women “nutritious biomass” traits; in Kenya, men prioritized “nutritious biomass” and women “how fast forage splits could be established” traits. The sale of the forage cuttings appeared to provide promising marketing opportunities for women, who were able to control the income generated. The introduction of improved forages, which are grown close to homesteads, reduced the time men and boys spent grazing livestock while increasing the time women and girls spent harvesting fodder. Following gender sensitivity training provided alongside forage introductions, Ethiopian men reported being involved in forage harvesting, chopping, and feeding against prevailing norms while the Kenyan women took on greater decision‐making roles. These positive outcomes in gender equity suggest that the integration of gender and forage technology trainings can secure significant gains not only for women, but also for the men in the households. 2022-01 2021-11-30T07:29:19Z 2021-11-30T07:29:19Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116391 en Open Access Wiley Njuguna-Mungai, E., Omondi, I., Galiè, A., Jumba, H., Derseh, M., Paul, B.K., Zenebe, M., Juma, A. and Duncan, A. 2021. Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia. Agronomy Journal
spellingShingle animal feeding
forage
panicum
grasses
gender
women
livestock
Njuguna-Mungai, Esther
Omondi, Immaculate A.
Galiè, Alessandra
Jumba, Humphrey
Bezabih, Melkamu
Paul, Birthe K.
Zenebe, Mesfin
Juma, Alfred
Duncan, Alan J.
Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title_full Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title_fullStr Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title_short Gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in Kenya and Ethiopia
title_sort gender dynamics around introduction of improved forages in kenya and ethiopia
topic animal feeding
forage
panicum
grasses
gender
women
livestock
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116391
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