Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models

In many developing countries, agricultural extension services are generally biased towards men, with information targeted mainly to male members of a farming household and in formats that are rarely tailored to women. We conduct a field experiment among maize-farming households in eastern Uganda to...

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Autores principales: Lecoutere, Els, Spielman, David J., Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Formato: Conference Paper
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146862
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author Lecoutere, Els
Spielman, David J.
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
author_browse Lecoutere, Els
Spielman, David J.
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
author_facet Lecoutere, Els
Spielman, David J.
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
author_sort Lecoutere, Els
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In many developing countries, agricultural extension services are generally biased towards men, with information targeted mainly to male members of a farming household and in formats that are rarely tailored to women. We conduct a field experiment among maize-farming households in eastern Uganda to test whether video-enabled extension messaging affects outcomes directly related to maize management and production. Specifically, we randomly assign men, women, and couples to view videos about improved maize management practices in which male, female, or both male and female actors are featured. We first investigate whether targeting women with information increases their involvement in productive decision-making processes. We then explore whether the provision of information in videos featuring a woman—challenging the idea that maize cultivation is a predominantly male activity—affects outcomes for women. We find that screening videos containing information on maize management and production to women increase their knowledge about improved maize management practices, their role in agricultural decision-making, the adoption of recommended practices and inputs, the quantity of maize sold to the market, and production-related outcomes on women-managed maize plots. However, we also find that challenging role incongruity by featuring women in videos has limited effects.
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spelling CGSpace1468622024-11-13T12:23:07Z Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models Lecoutere, Els Spielman, David J. Van Campenhout, Bjorn gender women's empowerment agricultural extension maize empowerment educational resources information and communication technologies information audiovisual aids women In many developing countries, agricultural extension services are generally biased towards men, with information targeted mainly to male members of a farming household and in formats that are rarely tailored to women. We conduct a field experiment among maize-farming households in eastern Uganda to test whether video-enabled extension messaging affects outcomes directly related to maize management and production. Specifically, we randomly assign men, women, and couples to view videos about improved maize management practices in which male, female, or both male and female actors are featured. We first investigate whether targeting women with information increases their involvement in productive decision-making processes. We then explore whether the provision of information in videos featuring a woman—challenging the idea that maize cultivation is a predominantly male activity—affects outcomes for women. We find that screening videos containing information on maize management and production to women increase their knowledge about improved maize management practices, their role in agricultural decision-making, the adoption of recommended practices and inputs, the quantity of maize sold to the market, and production-related outcomes on women-managed maize plots. However, we also find that challenging role incongruity by featuring women in videos has limited effects. 2019-11-13 2024-06-21T09:09:07Z 2024-06-21T09:09:07Z Conference Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146862 en Open Access Lecoutere, Els; Spielman, David J.; and Van Campenhout, Bjorn. 2019. Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models. Presented at the 6th African Conference of Agricultural Economists in Abuja, Nigeria, September 23-26, 2019. https://purl.umn.edu/295694
spellingShingle gender
women's empowerment
agricultural extension
maize
empowerment
educational resources
information and communication technologies
information
audiovisual aids
women
Lecoutere, Els
Spielman, David J.
Van Campenhout, Bjorn
Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title_full Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title_fullStr Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title_full_unstemmed Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title_short Empowering women with digital extension in Uganda: Effects of information and role models
title_sort empowering women with digital extension in uganda effects of information and role models
topic gender
women's empowerment
agricultural extension
maize
empowerment
educational resources
information and communication technologies
information
audiovisual aids
women
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146862
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