GENDER AND POVERTY IN AFRICA AND ASIA
ഀTheme 2: Land, Water and Livelihoods
ഀ| ഀ |
ഀ
| ഀ
ഀ
Gender: for effective gender-equitable irrigation policy and implementation, the gendered organization of farming, which varies across the globe, needs to be fully understood and taken into account. In female and dual farming systems, where a large proportion of farmers are women, projects’ reaching out to women farm decision-makers in providing access to water and other benefits builds upon local practices and is key to improved production, besides enhanced gender equity. In male farming systems, though, support agencies have to overcome local taboos in reaching out to the minority of female farm decision-makers. They can only effectively empower the majority of women if they simultaneously address the range of obstacles that women face in establishing their farm enterprise, in liaison with other rural development agencies. Gender quota for irrigation management institutions, which reflect, at least, the proportion of women farm decision-makers, is a realistic, implementable generic step forward (and adopted, for example, in South Africa’s irrigation support policy).ഀ
| ഀ
ഀ
