Women smallholder agricultural farmers' views on gender equility and the role of informal agricultural associations in the Catembe district, Mozambique

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The research objective of this study was to explore women smallholder agricultural farmers'views of gender equality in terms of access to land, control over land and the division oflabour. However, after some time the decision was made to add to this an exploration ofwomen smallholder agricultural farmers' views on the role of informal agricultural groups inpromoting gender equality.Six women, who live in the Catembe district in Maputo province took part in the study. Asdictated by the research objectives participants in the study were married or living with apartner and engaged in smallholder agriculture both individually and collectively as part of aninformal agricultural association.The research was designed according to Participatory Action Research (PAR). PAR waschosen as a research design in order to meet the objectives of the study and because PAR iscompatible with the theoretical position from which the research was undertaken, namely theEmpowerment perspective on women, gender and development. Data collection methods forthe study included individual and focus-group interviews, observation and a review ofsecondary data. Data was analysed using a combination of qualitative data analysis methods.The research findings indicated that participants perceive a lack of gender equalitypredominantly in terms of the gender division of labour and not so much in terms of access toand control over land. The promotion of gender equality was not a consideration for womenwhen they joined the informal agricultural association. Membership had little if any influenceon the level of gender equality participants experienced in their personal lives. The associationwas primarily used to access some income and food and it appeared to have a social supportfunction. The research findings also indicated that within informal agricultural associationsthe division of resources might be unequal. The unequal division of resources within theassociation does not only undermine its ability to successfully secure income and foodsecurity for its members, but it may also undermine the association's ability to act as a forumfor discussing gender related issues. The latter is the potential role participants envision forinformal agricultural associations in promoting gender equality.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University