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Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 65043

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Robyn Alders

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Guest Editor

Development Policy Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
Interests: sustainable domestic and global food; nutrition security/health security systems; individual/planetary health; gender equity; science communication

Dr. Nicoline de Haan

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Guest Editor

International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi 30709, Kenya
Interests: gender; rural livelihoods; livestock; agriculture; animal health (specifically goats and plagues of small ruminants); natural resource management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue comprises papers that explore the multifaceted dimensions of gender equality in relation to sustainable development in rural areas in Africa, Asia, Latin America and The Pacific. Through a series of papers it explores promising approaches to research and the mitigation of gender inequalities in rural areas. The Special Issue looks critically at various approaches aimed at reducing gender inequalities within rural areas, from gender responsive technologies to the empowerment of women. It acknowledges that climate change is already negatively impacting many households in rural areas and that gender dynamics need to be understood to ensure sustainable development. This Special Issue attempts to tackle the following questions. How can the use of a gender framework promote individual and household development that is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable? How important are gender transformative approaches? How does the gender perspective fit into agroecological system thinking? What is the role of gender in relation to the search for sustainable solutions to humanitarian crises in rural areas? How do gender dynamics within development projects affect outcomes? How can we promote more equitable development in rural areas that acknowledges the needs and aspirations of both women and men? How do social movements fit within this discussion? What is the role of policy in this debate? And how does the rural–urban divide enhance or reduce gender inequalities?

Prof. Dr. Robyn Alders
Dr. Nicoline de Haan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Gender equity
Empowerment
Gender transformative approaches
Agricultural innovations
Social sustainability
Economic sustainability
Environmental sustainability
Rural livelihoods
Agroecology
Humanitarian crises

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 1340 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing and Advancing Gender Equity in Lake Malawi’s Small-Scale Fisheries Sector

by Elin Torell, Chikondi Manyungwa-Pasani, Danielle Bilecki, Innocent Gumulira and Gordon Yiwombe

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13001; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313001 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3559

Abstract

Women play important, but often invisible, roles in Lake Malawi’s small-scale fisheries sector. This paper augments previous research by exploring the productive and reproductive roles that men and women have in fishing communities and how this shapes women’s access and control over fisheries resources. Contributing to advancing the understanding of how to strengthen women’s roles in the fisheries sector, this paper reports on a qualitative assessment conducted in seven Malawian lakeshore districts. Data collected via focus group discussions, which included gendered resource mapping exercises, revealed belief systems and gender norms that shape men’s and women’s access to and control over lacustrine resources. While both men and women have access to lake and land resources, their roles differ. Men dominate fishing resources whereas women dominate resources that are tied to household management. While all value chain nodes are open to men, women tend to be concentrated in lower-value processing and trading activities. Social norms and values shape people’s access and control over communal resources. It is noteworthy that women who earn an income from the fisheries value chain have more access to savings and credit and have more equal household bargaining power. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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24 pages, 4259 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovation of Women Farmers: A Technological Proposal for Mezcalilleras’ Sustainability in Mexico, Based on Knowledge Management

by David Israel Contreras-Medina, Sergio Ernesto Medina-Cuéllar, Julia Sánchez-Gómez and Carlos Mario Rodríguez-Peralta

Sustainability 2021, 13(21), 11706; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132111706 - 22 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3657

Abstract

Currently, technology usage is a fundamental asset for creating, developing, and implementing innovations; however, these are not available to everyone, which is accentuated in women with agricultural occupations. The present study develops a proposal of technologies for mezcalilleras’ sustainability from Oaxaca, Mexico, based on a knowledge management methodology, through the application of questionnaires in face-to-face sessions, field visits, and statistical analysis to explore the imbalances enclosed in the agave–mezcal activity seen as its problems, failures, and barriers, as well as its correlation with the identified technological routes. The results reveal that a technological platform creation, the fabrication of fiber optic refractometer, a metal roof construction, the design of a horizontal distiller–fractionator, the employment of metal containers and production of glass bottles, and the generation of a software and an application, are the suitable technologies, according to the mezcalilleras’ requirements. This proposal can be important for academics, policymakers, and producers who wish to revitalize traditional knowledge of the small-scale sectors in Mexico through new ways of interaction with external agents and customers, new ways of production, and previous years’ production analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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24 pages, 1949 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring Women’s Differentiated Access to Climate-Smart Agricultural Interventions in Selected Climate-Smart Villages of Latin America

by Mariola Acosta, Simon Riley, Osana Bonilla-Findji, Deissy Martínez-Barón, Fanny Howland, Sophia Huyer, Andrea Castellanos, Jesús David Martínez and Nitya Chanana

Sustainability 2021, 13(19), 10951; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910951 - 1 Oct 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2935

Abstract

Much of the literature examining the role of gender in processes of climate change adaptation in the agricultural sector has focused primarily on differences between male and female farmers, implicitly treating men and women as homogenous groups. Where heterogeneity exists within these groups which impacts climate change adaptation efforts and outcomes, an understanding of such intersectionalities is vital to the design of effective and equitable policy. The objective of this study is to investigate whether interaction effects among socio-economic factors are meaningful drivers of observed differences among female farmers in their adoption of climate-smart agricultural (CSA) practices, as well as their use of climate information and financial services. This study employs data from farmer surveys in three Climate-Smart Villages in Latin America, analyzed using ordinal logistic regression and canonical correspondence analysis. The results indicate that important interaction effects are present: the relationship between higher educational attainment and increased adoption of CSA practices, for example, is conditional on the degree of livelihood diversification. The relationship between greater educational attainment and increased use of climate forecasts is likewise conditional on age. These results suggest the need for researchers and policymakers to anticipate potential intersectionalities when designing research efforts and development interventions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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15 pages, 2240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Coffee Production and Trade on Gender Equity and Livelihood Improvement in Tanzania

by Joseph Rajabu Kangile, Reuben M. J. Kadigi, Charles Peter Mgeni, Bernadetha Pantaleo Munishi, Japhet Kashaigili and Pantaleo K. T. Munishi

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10191; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810191 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 9198

Abstract

Achieving the sustainable development goals in developing countries will require the realization of benefits from the global supply and value chains, such as coffee, for inclusive economic development and poverty reduction. This study uses the data of 400 men and women randomly sampled coffee farmers from a developing country, Tanzania, to evaluate coffee income distribution, and how general coffee production and trade contribute to gender equity and livelihood improvement. Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition and Gini coefficient models are used for data analysis. We find a gender imbalance from the ownership and control of resources to the participation of men and women in the coffee supply chain. However, investing in supporting the coffee supply chain has an impact on livelihood improvement, due to coffee income inequality reducing effects. There is a gender gap in the income earned from coffee production and trading, which is 44% of the women’s structural disadvantages. Empowerment for equal access to land and credit, and offering trade facilitation services will bridge the existing gender gap. Additionally, developing and disseminating new coffee production technologies that will reduce discrimination, by offering new opportunities and making coffee an inclusive supply chain, remains imperative. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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20 pages, 276 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender and Sustainability: Learning from Women’s Farming in Africa

by Tricia Glazebrook and Emmanuela Opoku

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10483; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410483 - 15 Dec 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4442

Abstract

Africa was the only continent not to achieve the 2015 Millennium Development Goal of 50% poverty reduction. This paper asks whether Africa will fare better in meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) addressing poverty and hunger by 2030. To answer this question, we examine a diverse body of literature and provide relevant longitudinal data collected over 13 years of field research. We find that ‘sustainable development’ is a failed concept immersed in the contemporary global economic system that favors growth over ecosystem stability and international institutions that undervalue women’s capacity for sustainability in their care-work as food providers. We examine barriers to women’s farming (climate change, gender bias, limited access to land, technology, finance) and provide examples of women’s innovative strategies for overcoming barriers in their care practices toward family and community well-being and ecosystem health. We find that Africa will likely repeat past failures without community-level interventions that empower women to achieve SDGs on poverty, hunger, gender equity, and ecosystem management. We uncover similar holistic thinking in women’s agricultural practices and scientific conception of ‘ecosystem services’. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

22 pages, 1010 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Women Farmers and Agricultural Innovation: Marital Status and Normative Expectations in Rural Ethiopia

by Lone Badstue, Patti Petesch, Cathy Rozel Farnworth, Lara Roeven and Mahlet Hailemariam

Sustainability 2020, 12(23), 9847; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12239847 - 25 Nov 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6580

Abstract

Sustainable agricultural development depends on female and male smallholders being effective farmers. This includes the ability to access or control resources and make the best decisions possible agro-ecologically, economically, and socially. Traditionally, gendered studies on innovation practice focus on female- versus male-headed households. In this paper, we focus on married women in acknowledged male-headed households and women heading their own households to examine how marital status influences women’s capacity to innovate in their rural livelihoods. Using data from eight community case studies in Ethiopia, we used variable-oriented and contextualized case-oriented analysis to understand factors which promote or constrain women’s innovative capacities. We use Kabeer’s Resources–Agency–Achievements framework to structure our findings. Single women are more likely to own land and experience control over their production decisions and expenditures than married women, but engage in considerable struggle to obtain resources that should be theirs according to the law. Even when land is secured, customary norms often hamper women’s effective use of land and their ability to innovate. Still, some single women do succeed. Married women can innovate successfully provided they are in a collaborative relationship with their husbands. Finally, we find that gender-based violence limits women’s achievements. The article concludes with recommendations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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17 pages, 3845 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender-Responsive Public Transportation in the Dammam Metropolitan Region, Saudi Arabia

by Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Kh Md Nahiduzzaman, Sohel Ahmed, Tiziana Campisi and Nurten Akgün

Sustainability 2020, 12(21), 9068; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12219068 - 31 Oct 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7855

Abstract

The limited availability of public transportation in Saudi Arabia leads to an increased demand for private vehicles. An increase in using private cars does not meet the global sustainability goals, e.g., reducing energy consumption and improving the air quality. Road users should be encouraged to use sustainable mobility modes, particularly public transportation, equally accessible to both men and women However, women’s mobility has been somewhat limited and challenged in spatio-temporal terms, and partly due to socio-cultural barriers. This study attempts to understand the gender experience of a sample of public transport users and consider their aspirations and needs into daily mobility. A survey campaign (structured interviews and online questionnaires) was launched in the Dammam Metropolitan Region (DMR), taking four different types of respondents into account. The results suggest a predominant preference for taxis for shopping and leisure activities due to a poor public transport service, pivotally characterized by limited operational routes, hours, and infrastructure. This study ponders upon the adequacy of the supporting infrastructures and interior design of the public buses to women’s needs and compare them with global best practices. The results suggest that, due to the absence of a gender-responsive design and infrastructure, women are forced to use taxis, although privacy and a sense of insecurity often become concerns when traveling alone or with children. The study results allow future research to be expanded, considering women’s mobility patterns, needs, and embedded barriers by comparing the results with current transport policies, plans, and practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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22 pages, 634 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Will Mechanizing Mung Bean Harvesting Affect Women Hired Laborers in Myanmar and Bangladesh?

by Cathy Rozel Farnworth, Aye Moe San, Nanda Dulal Kundu, Md Monjurul Islam, Rownok Jahan, Lutz Depenbusch, Ramakrishnan Madhavan Nair, Theingi Myint and Pepijn Schreinemachers

Sustainability 2020, 12(19), 7870; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197870 - 23 Sep 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4737

Abstract

Farm mechanization can promote the economic sustainability of small farms and in the context of cereal-legume systems strengthen plant protein-based diets, which support human health and environmental sustainability. However, mechanization inevitably displaces hired laborers who depend on manual farm work for their income. Few studies have systematically analyzed the differential effects on women and men hired labor. Here, we use primarily qualitative data from Myanmar and Bangladesh to test the hypothesis that the effects of mechanizing mung bean harvesting—which is now commencing in both countries—are likely to weaken women hired workers’ economic and personal empowerment. We focus on rural landless women laborers as an important part of the agricultural labor force. The results broadly confirm the hypothesis, although there is variation between the research sites. Harvesting mung beans is the only fieldwork task available to many landless women, particularly married women with children, in both countries. Gendered restrictions on women’s mobility and their role as family caregivers, as well as norms about appropriate work for women and men, restrict women’s options regarding alternative work both locally and further away. The effects are likely to be particularly negative in locations with minimal off-farm economic diversity and more restrictive gender norms. Overall, men across all sites will be less affected since their participation rates in harvesting and post-harvest processing are low. They are less restricted by gender norms and can travel freely to find work elsewhere. However, women and men in low asset households will find it problematic to find alternative income sources. Less restrictive gender norms would help to mitigate the adverse effects of farm mechanization. It is important to invest in gender transformative approaches to stimulate change in norms and associated behaviors to make a wider range of choices possible. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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23 pages, 514 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impacts of Rural Women’s Traditional Economic Activities on Household Economy: Changing Economic Contributions through Empowered Women in Rural Pakistan

by Salma Jabeen, Sanam Haq, Arif Jameel, Abid Hussain, Muhammad Asif, Jinsoo Hwang and Abida Jabeen

Sustainability 2020, 12(7), 2731; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12072731 - 31 Mar 2020

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 12409

Abstract

In Pakistan, as in other developing countries, rural women make ample contributions to the economy through vital productive and reproductive roles. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of women’s traditional economic activities that supplement their household economy directly through earning income and indirectly through savings expenditure and to assess the factors that influence their productivity performance. For this purpose, six rural areas from Khyber, which is located in the Pukhtoonkhwah province, were chosen to represent the south, north, and the central plain regions. About 480 women responded out of 600, which were selected using a snowball sampling technique from the entire three regions. The data was collected by conducting face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). About 68.33% respondents were illiterate, 47.71% were 31 to 40 years old, and 47.92% lived in a joint family system. Due to the strict Purdah (veil) culture, about 71.88% of the women’s economic activities were confined indoors, such as stitching; embroidery; basket and candle making; preparing pickles, jams, and squash; dairy products; apiculture; sericulture; livestock; poultry; nursery raising; and some agriculture-related off-farm activities. It was reported that the major decisions in the household are made by the male members due to the strong patriarchal norms and values. Development projects by the NGOs and the government have played a significant role to provide credit, training, and awareness that has arisen specifically in the north and the south regions. All of the women were aware of the positive effects of economic independence, but some of them also revealed the negative effects on their physical and psychological health as well as the social ties within the households and communities due to the extensive workload and time issues. The study concluded that many demographic social, cultural, religious, and economic factors negatively influence the women’s productive potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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Review

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17 pages, 315 KiB

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Toward a Feminist Agroecology

by Haley Zaremba, Marlène Elias, Anne Rietveld and Nadia Bergamini

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11244; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011244 - 12 Oct 2021

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 7053

Abstract

Agroecology is gaining ground as a movement, science, and set of practices designed to advance a food systems transformation which subverts the patterns of farmer exploitation currently entrenched in dominant agricultural models. In order for agroecology to achieve its espoused twin aims of social and ecological wellbeing, women and other historically marginalized stakeholders must be empowered and centered as the movement’s protagonists. The importance of gender and social considerations is not limited to patently social aspects of the agroecological agenda, but bears relevance in every dimension of agroecology. Yet, issues related to gender have commanded relatively little attention in the agroeocological literature. In this paper, we review HLPE’s 13 defining principles of agroecology through a feminist lens to demonstrate the ways in which human dimensions and power dynamics are interwoven in every principle. Through this analysis, we demonstrate that a feminist approach is instrumental to establish a socially just and ecologically sustainable agroecological transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advancing Gender Equality in Rural Areas of Developing Countries)

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