Integrating Gender in Extension in Bangladesh
- 1. 1 Development Perspective of Gender into Agriculture Extension Services in Bangladesh: How far to go? Research Team Dr. M. Wakilur Rahman Nishith Zahan Tanny 4/10/2017
- 2. 2 Presentation Outline Enabling Environment Organizational Commitment Way forward Background Development Perspectives 4/10/2017
- 3. 3 Background Agricultural extension helps in.. • Promoting agricultural productivity • Increasing food security • Improving rural livelihoods • An engine of pro-poor economic growth Women farmers made up 40 percent of the total agricultural labour force (Akter et.al (2015) Gender does not mean woman only- Gender-sensitive Unequal access to productive resources Less access to decision making process Shift on gender mainstreaming Gender incorporation in agriculture extension, indeed important 4/10/2017 How, when??
- 4. 4 Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Indian Sub-continent Bangladesh Perspectives Phase I: Colonial Agriculture • Experimental stations were established in many Asian countries by the colonial powers • Technical advice was provided to plantation managers and large landowners • Assistance to small farmers who grew subsistence crops was rare, except in times of crisis • Persuasive + paternalistic paradigm (Top-down approach) • Women were not recognized as farmer to receive the extension services Phase II: After Ending the British Rule • Commodity-based extension services emerged • Various schemes were initiated to meet the needs of small farmers, with support from foreign donors • Training and Visit system (T&V) was dominated • Regular messages were delivered to groups of farmers, promoting the adoption of 'green revolution' technologies • Persuasive + paternalistic paradigm (Top-down approach) • Women were not recognized as farmer to receive the extension services 4/10/2017
- 5. 5 Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Bangladesh Perspectives Phase III: Gender incorporation • Women recognized as recipient of extension who are involved in agriculture (early 70s to mid-90s) • Enhance capacity to do farming better • Soon realized the importance of the approach but………. This is not sufficient to address gender 4/10/2017
- 6. 6 Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Bangladesh Perspectives Phase IV: Modern Extension Services • Addressing control of productive resources • Beyond transferring new technologies • Capacity building as well as broadening the linkages • Improving opportunities for rural employment 4/10/2017
- 7. 7 Shifting Paradigm 4/10/2017 Sustainable Top-down Inform T&V systems Consult Involve CollaborateEffective Training
- 8. 8 Shifting Paradigm From To Increasing production /productivity Improved income and more productive employment opportunities Training Demand based training and gender incorporation Distribution of inputs Development of local capacity for sustained availability of inputs and services by gender Selection of interventions based on PRA Demand-led and based on analysis of client data Centrally designed ideas Both male and female aspirations carefully analyzed Fixed/uniform Evolving/diverse Individual Working in partnership Inclusion by accident Inclusion by design 4/10/2017 Still lacking …………………………………to integrate gender into extension
- 9. 9 Enabling Environment- Policy Level National Agriculture Policy 2013 (from Bengali version) - Increased women participation in management decision making and their advancement in agriculture; - Ensure women’s equal access to agricultural inputs including technology; - Efforts will be made to ensure non-discrimination in wages. New Agriculture Extension Policy 2015 (Draft in Bengali) - Tenant farmers, young, women and land less families should give especial priority; - Women farmers are encouraged to lead and occupy decision making positions; 4/10/2017
- 10. 10 Enabling environment- Policy Level 7th Five Year Plan (Four Strategic plan related to women) - Improve women’s human capabilities - Increase women’s economic gains - Enhance women’s voice and agency - Create an enabling environment for women’s advancement Other Relevant Policies National Women Development Policy- 2011 National Rural Development Policy- 2011 National Food Policy 2008 - Plan of Action (2008-2015) Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-II 4/10/2017
- 11. 11 Enabling Environment- Policy Level Goal#1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere 1.2 Reduce poverty at least by half the proportion of men, women and children 1.4 Ensure that all men and women, ……..have equal rights to economic resources….. 1.a Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies Goal#5 Achieving Gender Equality 5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls; 5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls; 5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage 5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work 5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership Sustainable Development Goals 4/10/2017
- 12. 12 Enabling Environment- Policy Level Goal#2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture production 1.1 Ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round; 2.3 Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women,.. Sustainable Development Goals 4/10/2017
- 13. 13 Organizational Commitment Agricultural Universities Mandate: Offering higher education and research in agricultural field Education: Profession based agricultural education Research: Producing researcher for agricultural development (basic and applied research) Technology generate & Transfer: Innovate new technology and disseminate them at certain level 4/10/2017 20 80 Gender & Extension Others Sylhet AU 4 96 Gender & Extension Others Sher E Bangla AU 1 99 Gender & Extension Others BSMRAU 13.4 86.6 Gender & Extension Others BAU
- 14. 14 Organizational Commitment Issues BAU BSMRAU Sher-e Bangla AU Sylhet AU Achievement Skilled human capital for modernizing agriculture Change agent for solving agricultural problem Limited extension services Outreach center disseminating developed varieties and technologies Outreach programs offering training to farmers, agricultural professionals and teachers, organizing farmer’s group and solving agricultural problems Agricultural graduate and applied research Gaps Small scale area coverage At undergraduate level no distinct course on gender and development Advanced research on gender and extension services At undergraduate level no distinct course on gender and development No institutionalized extension services At undergraduate level need course on gender and development No institutionalized extension services More research on gender and agriculture extension At undergraduate level course on gender and development No institutionalized extension services More research on gender, and extension Agricultural Universities There is a course at MS level related to Gender4/10/2017
- 15. 15 Organizational Commitment Research Organizations Mandate: Innovation and technology dissemination Research: New technology, disease inspection, socio-economic analysis Training or Skill Development: Extension workers, researchers, farmers, other personnel Technology Transfer: To the end users at certain percent (Trail and dissemination) Issues BARI BRRI BINA BFRI BLRI Reviewed Documents No. 15 20 21 20 89 Relevant to gender and extension 2 10 6 ext. 1-ext. 2- ext. 4/10/2017
- 16. 16 Organizational Commitment Research Organizations 4/10/2017 50 50 Gender & Extension Others BRRI 13 87 Gender & Extension Others BARI 10 90 Gender & Extension Others BINA 9 91 Gender & Extension Others BFRI 2 98 Gender & Extension Others BLRI
- 17. 17 Organizational Commitment Research Organizations Issues BARI BRRI BINA BFRI BLRI Achievem ents Development of 936 technologies Climate sensitive and farmer’s responsive technologies Tripling annual rice production BRRI technology- income generation and employment creation Improved livelihood Dissemination of problem solving technologies (salt / disease resistance, shorter duration) Training and dissemination Farmer’s training Dissemination of BFRI invented technology Household earnings Livelihood improvements Gaps More attention has been paid on economic suitability ignored social issues Provision of future planning for extension but not explicitly gender Emphasis on economic feasibility with little/no importance on social aspects Future priority on gender equality but yet to implement Need attention on gender incorporation They also offer training for the farmers, and technical professional 4/10/2017
- 18. 18 Organizational Commitment Issues BARC Mandate Coordinate research and foster inter-institute collaboration; Monitor and review the research program of NARS institutes; Like APEX Assist institutes to strengthen research capacities, Establish system-wide operational policies and standard management procedures Activities relevant to gender and extension No specific intervention has been identified 4/10/2017
- 19. 19 Organizational Commitment Training and Applied research Mandate: Need based initiatives to improve livelihoods Training or Skill Development: Income generating activities Applied Research: Rural development Technology Transfer: To the end users Issues RDA BARD Reviewed Documents No. 50 162 Relevant to gender and extension 29 18 4/10/2017 11 91 Gender & Extension Others BARD 42 58 Gender & Extension Others RDA
- 20. 20 Organizational Commitment Issues RDA BARD Achievements • Rural development • Women in extension • Poverty alleviation • Progress in gender relation • Explicit gender division • Technology demonstration services • Extensive training on gender inclusion • Rural development Gaps Need to increase coverage More applied research Training and Applied research They offer training for the farmers, and different professional 4/10/2017
- 21. 21 Organizational Commitment DAE Mandate: Providing extension services to ensure socio-economic development Training or Skill Development: Both farmers and professionals Technology Transfer: To the end users Issues DAE Reviewed Documents No. 50 Relevant to gender and extension 15 4/10/2017 30 70 Gender & Extension Others DAE
- 22. 22 Organizational Commitment Issues DAE Achievements • Highest extension coverage • Improved livelihood through improved technology transfer • Farmers’ training components also strong (gender also considered) Gaps Integrating gender into development agenda More collaboration needed with others DAE 4/10/2017
- 23. 23 Organizational Commitment Dev. organizations Mandate: Socio-economic development and ensure equity Research: Economic and social development Training or Skill Development: Women, men, practitioners Technology Transfer: Supported by Govt./ other agencies Issue Dev. Organizations No. of organizations reviewed 39 Working on gender and nutrition 37 4/10/2017 5 95 Gender & Extension Others Dev. Organizations
- 24. 24 Organizational Commitment Issues Development Organizations Achievements • Progress on health and education • Social and economic empowerment • Inclusiveness of marginal population • Extension services Gaps More focus on human rights and justice but lacking continuation of work as well as inadequate participant coverage Dev. Organizations 4/10/2017
- 25. 25 EXPERT OPINION • Recognized the importance of gender inclusion in research/project/training • Realized the importance of extension coverage- few of them not clear with specific interventions • All reported the strong needs for collaboration and integration With some observations--- • Previous initiative did not work • Superiority ….. Complexity • Acceptability • Distinct features…..?? Source: KIIs 4/10/2017
- 26. 264/10/2017 Sustainable Top-down Inform T&V systems Consult Involve Collaborate Effective Training WHERE WE ARE?
- 27. 27 Way Forward 4/10/2017 Integration and collaboration of education, research, extension and development organizations Sustainable agriculture extension services in Bangladesh