promoting gender equitable opportunities in agricultural ... - weman

BELIEFS ANDPERCEPTIONSAll societies have belief systems thatshape ideas about appropriate rolesand responsibilities for men andwomen. Beliefs guide men’s andwomen’s socialization processesand shape general patterns ofbehavior. For example, it is oftenexpected for girls and boys to learnabout different aspects of agriculturalproduction and marketing practices.Associations between women andcaregiving shape opportunitiesfor women to learn more aboutwild foods, medicinal plants, orsmall-animal health than men.Social beliefs also shape economicopportunities available to men andwomen. For example, beliefs aboutthe appropriateness of women inmanagerial roles may restrict womenfrom decision-making positions.Social beliefs also shape men’s andwomen’s access to assets. Despitelaws that stipulate equal pay for equalwork, a common belief that women aresecondary income earners may resultin the acceptance and perpetuationof differential wages for men andwomen. Furthermore, a belief thatsons should inherit land may overridea law that requires equal inheritancerights indiscriminate of sex.Beliefs about men andwomen as economicactorsWomen are key actors in farmingenterprises, making significantcontributions as unpaid familyworkers. They are the direct users ofmany inputs and services. Womenare frequently independent farmmanagers, as well as acting farmRay Witlin/The World BankBELIEFS AND PERCEPTIONS VERSUS PRACTICES ANDPARTICIPATIONBeliefs and practice are often contradictory. Social beliefs may sometimesbe at odds with individuals’ actions but are used to justify and upholdgender differences. People may say they believe that women are moretrustworthy when it comes to repaying loans but still restrict the sizeof their loans because women have limited collateral. Or a producerassociation may assert that women are more effective communicators,a quality prized in an association leader, but women may be restrictedfrom leadership positions because they do not own land. Social beliefsand perceptions often guide behavior but do not necessarily determinethe actions of individuals.21