Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability

The purpose of this study was to assess women’s decision-making power in small-scale agriculture in six African countries in view of the feminization of agriculture and to discuss the meaning of decision-making in relation to women’s empowerment and sustainability. The data are drawn from a multisit...

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Main Authors: Haug, R., Mwaseba, D. L., Njarui, Donald M.G., Moeletsi, M., Magalasi, M., Mutimura, Mupenzi, Hundessa, F., Aamodt, Julie T
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: MDPI 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116829
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author Haug, R.
Mwaseba, D. L.
Njarui, Donald M.G.
Moeletsi, M.
Magalasi, M.
Mutimura, Mupenzi
Hundessa, F.
Aamodt, Julie T
author_browse Aamodt, Julie T
Haug, R.
Hundessa, F.
Magalasi, M.
Moeletsi, M.
Mutimura, Mupenzi
Mwaseba, D. L.
Njarui, Donald M.G.
author_facet Haug, R.
Mwaseba, D. L.
Njarui, Donald M.G.
Moeletsi, M.
Magalasi, M.
Mutimura, Mupenzi
Hundessa, F.
Aamodt, Julie T
author_sort Haug, R.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The purpose of this study was to assess women’s decision-making power in small-scale agriculture in six African countries in view of the feminization of agriculture and to discuss the meaning of decision-making in relation to women’s empowerment and sustainability. The data are drawn from a multisite and mixed-method agricultural research and development project in six sub-Saharan countries including two sites in each country. The five domains of empowerment outlined in the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index are used to structure the analysis. The results indicate that in the selected sites in Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa, women farmers tend to dominate agricultural decision-making, while the result is more mixed in the Kenyan sites, and decision-making tends to be dominated by men in the sites in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Despite women participating in agricultural decision-making, the qualitative results show that women small-scale farmers were not perceived to be empowered in any of the country sites. It appears that the feminization of agriculture leads to women playing a more important role in decision-making but also to more responsibilities and heavier workloads without necessarily resulting in improvements in well-being outcomes that would enhance sustainability.
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spelling CGSpace1168292026-01-22T09:19:37Z Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability Haug, R. Mwaseba, D. L. Njarui, Donald M.G. Moeletsi, M. Magalasi, M. Mutimura, Mupenzi Hundessa, F. Aamodt, Julie T sustainability gender agriculture employment women The purpose of this study was to assess women’s decision-making power in small-scale agriculture in six African countries in view of the feminization of agriculture and to discuss the meaning of decision-making in relation to women’s empowerment and sustainability. The data are drawn from a multisite and mixed-method agricultural research and development project in six sub-Saharan countries including two sites in each country. The five domains of empowerment outlined in the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index are used to structure the analysis. The results indicate that in the selected sites in Malawi, Rwanda and South Africa, women farmers tend to dominate agricultural decision-making, while the result is more mixed in the Kenyan sites, and decision-making tends to be dominated by men in the sites in Tanzania and Ethiopia. Despite women participating in agricultural decision-making, the qualitative results show that women small-scale farmers were not perceived to be empowered in any of the country sites. It appears that the feminization of agriculture leads to women playing a more important role in decision-making but also to more responsibilities and heavier workloads without necessarily resulting in improvements in well-being outcomes that would enhance sustainability. 2021-07-06 2021-12-17T12:16:29Z 2021-12-17T12:16:29Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116829 en Open Access application/pdf MDPI Haug, R., Mwaseba, D.L., Njarui, D., Moeletsi, M., Magalasi, M., Mutimura, M., Hundessa, F. and Aamodt, J.T. 2021. Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability. Sustainability 13(16):8993.
spellingShingle sustainability
gender
agriculture
employment
women
Haug, R.
Mwaseba, D. L.
Njarui, Donald M.G.
Moeletsi, M.
Magalasi, M.
Mutimura, Mupenzi
Hundessa, F.
Aamodt, Julie T
Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title_full Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title_fullStr Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title_full_unstemmed Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title_short Feminization of African agriculture and the meaning of decision-making for empowerment and sustainability
title_sort feminization of african agriculture and the meaning of decision making for empowerment and sustainability
topic sustainability
gender
agriculture
employment
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/116829
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