It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi

Inclusive agricultural value chains (VCs) are potential drivers for poverty reduction, food security, and women’s empowerment. This report assesses the implementation of the Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training for Women Program (ATVET4Women) that aims to support women with vocat...

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Autores principales: Ragasa, Catherine, Malapit, Hazel J., Rubin, Deborah, Myers, Emily, Pereira, Audrey, Martinez, Elena M., Heckert, Jessica, Seymour, Greg, Mzungu, Diston, Kalagho, Kenan, Kazembe, Cynthia, Thunde, Jack, Mswero, Grace
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143450
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author Ragasa, Catherine
Malapit, Hazel J.
Rubin, Deborah
Myers, Emily
Pereira, Audrey
Martinez, Elena M.
Heckert, Jessica
Seymour, Greg
Mzungu, Diston
Kalagho, Kenan
Kazembe, Cynthia
Thunde, Jack
Mswero, Grace
author_browse Heckert, Jessica
Kalagho, Kenan
Kazembe, Cynthia
Malapit, Hazel J.
Martinez, Elena M.
Mswero, Grace
Myers, Emily
Mzungu, Diston
Pereira, Audrey
Ragasa, Catherine
Rubin, Deborah
Seymour, Greg
Thunde, Jack
author_facet Ragasa, Catherine
Malapit, Hazel J.
Rubin, Deborah
Myers, Emily
Pereira, Audrey
Martinez, Elena M.
Heckert, Jessica
Seymour, Greg
Mzungu, Diston
Kalagho, Kenan
Kazembe, Cynthia
Thunde, Jack
Mswero, Grace
author_sort Ragasa, Catherine
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Inclusive agricultural value chains (VCs) are potential drivers for poverty reduction, food security, and women’s empowerment. This report assesses the implementation of the Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training for Women Program (ATVET4Women) that aims to support women with vocational training and market linkages in priority agricultural value chains. This report focuses on Malawi, one of the six pilot countries of the ATVET4Women; and focuses on vegetable value chains in which some non-formal training sessions have been conducted as of October 2019. This report presents (1) program experience of stakeholders; (2) evidence of program benefits and challenges among ATVET4Women non-formal training graduates; and (3) baseline data on value chain and empowerment indicators, using a pilot household survey-based instrument for measuring women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains (pro-WEAI for market inclusion) and supplementary qualitative research. Results show graduates’ satisfaction and appreciation of the training provided, and some graduates reported having access to more lucrative markets as a result of the training. However, positive changes in several outcome indicators were reported by only some graduates: 30 percent of graduates reported increased production and sales. There is no significant difference in the reported changes and levels of vegetable production and income between graduates and non-graduates. Qualitative findings suggest that constraints to accessing agricultural inputs and funds to upgrade their production may be why there are no measured differences. Results on empowerment status reveal that 73 percent of women and 85 percent of men in the sample are empowered, and 73 percent of the sample households achieved gender parity. The main contributor of disempowerment among women and men is lack of work balance and autonomy in income. Fewer women achieved adequacy in work balance than men. Adequacies in attitudes about domestic violence, respect among household members, input in productive decisions, and asset ownership are generally high for both women and men, but significantly lower for women. While this report is mainly descriptive and further analysis is ongoing, it offers some lessons and practical implications for improving ATVET4Women program implementation and its outcomes on women’s market access, incomes, and empowerment.
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spelling CGSpace1434502025-12-08T10:11:39Z It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi Ragasa, Catherine Malapit, Hazel J. Rubin, Deborah Myers, Emily Pereira, Audrey Martinez, Elena M. Heckert, Jessica Seymour, Greg Mzungu, Diston Kalagho, Kenan Kazembe, Cynthia Thunde, Jack Mswero, Grace value chains income gender women's empowerment agricultural value chains training capacity development empowerment market access women Inclusive agricultural value chains (VCs) are potential drivers for poverty reduction, food security, and women’s empowerment. This report assesses the implementation of the Agricultural Technical and Vocational Education Training for Women Program (ATVET4Women) that aims to support women with vocational training and market linkages in priority agricultural value chains. This report focuses on Malawi, one of the six pilot countries of the ATVET4Women; and focuses on vegetable value chains in which some non-formal training sessions have been conducted as of October 2019. This report presents (1) program experience of stakeholders; (2) evidence of program benefits and challenges among ATVET4Women non-formal training graduates; and (3) baseline data on value chain and empowerment indicators, using a pilot household survey-based instrument for measuring women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains (pro-WEAI for market inclusion) and supplementary qualitative research. Results show graduates’ satisfaction and appreciation of the training provided, and some graduates reported having access to more lucrative markets as a result of the training. However, positive changes in several outcome indicators were reported by only some graduates: 30 percent of graduates reported increased production and sales. There is no significant difference in the reported changes and levels of vegetable production and income between graduates and non-graduates. Qualitative findings suggest that constraints to accessing agricultural inputs and funds to upgrade their production may be why there are no measured differences. Results on empowerment status reveal that 73 percent of women and 85 percent of men in the sample are empowered, and 73 percent of the sample households achieved gender parity. The main contributor of disempowerment among women and men is lack of work balance and autonomy in income. Fewer women achieved adequacy in work balance than men. Adequacies in attitudes about domestic violence, respect among household members, input in productive decisions, and asset ownership are generally high for both women and men, but significantly lower for women. While this report is mainly descriptive and further analysis is ongoing, it offers some lessons and practical implications for improving ATVET4Women program implementation and its outcomes on women’s market access, incomes, and empowerment. 2021-02-01 2024-05-22T12:14:14Z 2024-05-22T12:14:14Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143450 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133061 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133456 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134323 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Ragasa, Catherine; Malapit, Hazel J.; Rubin, Deborah; Myers, Emily; Pereira, Audrey; Martinez, Elena M.; Heckert, Jessica; Seymour, Greg; Mzungu, Diston; Kalagho, Kenan; Kazembe, Cynthia; Thunde, Jack; and Mswero, Grace. 2021. "It takes two": Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi. IFPRI Discussion Paper 2006. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134302.
spellingShingle value chains
income
gender
women's empowerment
agricultural value chains
training
capacity development
empowerment
market access
women
Ragasa, Catherine
Malapit, Hazel J.
Rubin, Deborah
Myers, Emily
Pereira, Audrey
Martinez, Elena M.
Heckert, Jessica
Seymour, Greg
Mzungu, Diston
Kalagho, Kenan
Kazembe, Cynthia
Thunde, Jack
Mswero, Grace
It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title_full It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title_fullStr It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title_full_unstemmed It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title_short It takes two: Women’s empowerment in agricultural value chains in Malawi
title_sort it takes two women s empowerment in agricultural value chains in malawi
topic value chains
income
gender
women's empowerment
agricultural value chains
training
capacity development
empowerment
market access
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/143450
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