promoting gender equitable opportunities in agricultural ... - weman

TABLE 6: SAMPLE QUESTIONS FROM THE INGIA-VC INTERVIEW GUIDEACTOR INTHE CHAINProducersACCESS TO ASSETS✪✪ How did you obtainyour land?✪✪ How do you getinformation on newfarming practices?✪✪ How do you getinformation on marketprices?PERCEPTIONS ANDBELIEFS✪✪ Are there aspects ofproduction that are hardfor you because you are awoman/man?✪✪ Are there aspects ofproduction that men/women are discouragedfrom doing?PRACTICES ANDPARTICIPATION✪✪ Who makesdecisions about thefarm enterprise?✪✪ Who makesdecisions about whatcrops to produce?✪✪ Who negotiatessales?LAWS, POLICIES,REGULATORYINSTITUTIONS✪✪ Are there laws orpolicies that makeit hard for you torun your farm as abusiness?Process✪✪ Who receives incomefrom the sale?Processors✪✪ How did you raisethe initial funds topurchase/obtain thebusiness?✪✪ Do you believe that men orwomen are better suitedto particular jobs in yourbusiness?✪✪ Do you believe that thereare differences in thesupply or quality of theproduct that you receivefrom men or women?✪✪ What kind of jobs domen and women doin the plant/factory?✪✪ With whom do younegotiate your salescontract (man/woman)?✪✪ Are there lawsor policies thatprohibit menor women fromperformingparticular jobs inthe plant/factory?STEP 2. Organizing the dataData collected in the interviews need to be organized to make sense. First, separate the information collected fromwomen or about women from information collected by men or about men. Men and women have different assets,undertake different tasks, and receive different benefits from their participation in the chain. Organizing the datashould help identify these differences.Second, beliefs and perceptions inform common understandings of what is appropriate for men and women. Note howparticular outcomes (i.e., access to assets or responsibility for tasks) are informed by beliefs and social expectations.Third, often data reveal contradictions. For example, interviewees may express a belief that women are “moretrustworthy” when it comes to repaying loans. However, that belief may or may not result in women actually receivingmore or larger loans. Women’s lack of collateral may override a belief about their collective “trustworthiness.” It isimportant to note these contradictions.The Phase One worksheet “Organizing Gender-Related Information from Interviews” provides an example of how to organizethe data from the field interviews. The organization is only suggestive; each project is likely to develop its own worksheets tohighlight the information most important for the activities they are supporting. The information in the chart is culled from the datacollected by the Twanya EAST project, including information from the case study narrative and supplementary interviews.PROMOTING GENDER EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAINS 82