Tool kit for Gender and Agriculture - Economic Commission for Africa

• Contributes to the policy discussion
• Is followed through in implementation reviews
• Is explicitly reflected in the design of projects.
E. Gender Issues in Agriculture Projects
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Improving Agriculture through Gender Analysis
Programs and projects that ignore gender-specific barriers to resources, opportunities,
and benefits risk excluding a large proportion of farmers and the farming community.
For example, studies of structural adjustment have found that gender differences have
hindered women from responding to incentives.
It is never too early to include a gender perspective. The earlier a gender perspective
is included, the greater will be the benefits. For example, the Asia and Africa
regions in the World Bank systematically review initial executive project summaries to
identify projects that would benefit from gender analysis. Projects with good potential,
serious risk, or need of support from gender specialists are monitored throughout
preparation and guidance, and technical inputs are offered as needed. At the same time,
no point exists in the project cycle when it is too late to consider gender issues. Even at
project completion, gender analysis can help explain success or failure and draw useful
lessons for future interventions.
1. Project Preparation and Appraisal
The aim of ensuring attention to gender when designing a project and choosing interventions
is to promote project objectives and increase efficiency. The key ingredient
for successful project preparation is understanding men’s and women’s roles in farming,
their needs, and how these needs can best be satisfied. Gender-related project interventions
can serve as mechanisms for achieving different outcomes, such as, to:
• Increase project efficiency
• Increase borrower and community ownership of the project
• Overcome gender-based constraints that hamper productivity
• Increase gender equity in income or income-earning opportunities, for example,
credit or microprojects targeting women
• Reduce the time or energy women spend on labor-intensive tasks, for example,
rural infrastructure
• Promote more gender-balanced access to project activities or factors of production
• Promote men’s and women’s participation and decisionmaking at the community
level
• Strengthen institutions and increase gender awareness
• Collect background data and information.
The main focus of the project⎯its geographic area, commodity, specific target
group, or introduction of private extension⎯is chosen on agronomic and economic