Do current ICTs fill the gender gap in agricultural knowledge transfer?

Evidence from five African countries

A. Kabore1, C. Raboanarielina,1 A.R. Agboh-Noameshie,1 A. Touré1 and M. Misiko2

1Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice), Cotonou, Benin 2International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Outline

Introduction

Methodology

Findings and discussion

Conclusion

Lessons learned

Introduction Women are critical players in the agricultural sector

in SSA (70 - 80% of active farming population)

Yet, women still face with problems of access and control of resources for agricultural productivity

FAO (2011) asserts that if women had better access to resources, they could increase yields by 20-30%

Resources very often are cited to mean land, labour, equipment and capital

Knowledge resources are often not mentioned or only implied.

Introduction Mechanism used for the flow of knowledge resources is

sometime not gender-sensitive

Limited capacity of extension officers: Fewer number of extension officers Fewer possibilities for updating knowledge

Gender bias in agricultural extension and advisory service delivery: Only 7% of extension officers are women in Africa (WDR,

2012) In Ghana, 12% of male-headed households received

extensions visits, versus 2 % of female-headed households. In male-headed households, only 2% of spouses received a visit (WDR, 2012)

Introduction

ICT (radio, TV, mobile phone) development offer new perspective to widen agricultural information and knowledge transmission

Can ICT offer an untapped potential to fill the agric. extension gender gap and improve the knowledge-transfer?

Methodology

Study conducted in rice growing villages in the targeted countries (10 villages in Guinea and 7 in Cameroon)

Questionnaire and Focus Group Discussions used to gather data

Stratified random sampling based on gender (equal number of respondents - female & male farmers targeted in the surveyed villages)

Data analysis using SPSS (descriptive statistics and t-test for comparing groups of men & women)

Is there a (gender) GAP in rice information and knowledge transfer to smallholders

farmers?

Guinea (N = 200)

Men (n=99) Women (n=101)Yes No Yes No

Public agricultural extension 2.4% 97.6% 5.9% 94.1%Agricultural NGO 2.1% 97.9% 5.9% 94.1%Agricultural research 1.0% 99.0% 3.0% 97.0%Farmer training Center - 100% - 100%Seed companies/ agro-dealers - 100% 1.0% 99.5%

Cameroon (N = 100)

Men (n=53) Women (n=47)Yes No Yes No

Public agricultural extension 30.2% 69.8% 34.0% 66.0%Agricultural NGO 5.7% 94.3% 6.4% 93.6%Agricultural research 3.8% 96.2% 6.4% 93.6%Farmer training Center 1.9% 98.1% 4.3% 95.7%Seed companies/ agro-dealers 1.9% 98.1% 4.3% 95.7%

Smallholder farmer access to rice information & knowledge through conventional means

What opportunities do ICTs (i.e. radio, TV and cellphone) offer to fill/ bridge this

GAP?

Ownership of media-related assets in the surveyed households

N = 100 Radio TV CellphoneMen (n=53) Yes 77.4% 50.9% 71.7%

No 22.6% 49.1% 28.3%Women (n=47) Yes 78.7% 69.6% 87.2%

No 21.3% 30.4% 12.8%

N = 200 Radio TV CellphoneMen (n=53) Yes 100.0% 11.1% 55.6%

No - 88.9% 44.4%Women (n=47) Yes 100.0% 5.9% 56.0%

No - 94.1% 44.0%

Guinea

Cameroon

Guinea• Radio is the most important

and common media asset own by both men & women

• Cellphone ownership - half• TV is not widespread

Cameroon• All media-related assets

owned by more than 50% of both men & women

• Women seem to own more media-related assets

• Cellphone is the 1st most common media, radio the 2nd

Access and ownership of media-related assets (radio, television, mobile phones) in the survey areas?

Ownership of media-related assets in the survey areas

N = 100 Radio TV CellphoneMen (n=53) Yes 77.4% 50.9% 71.7%

No 22.6% 49.1% 28.3%Women (n=47) Yes 78.7% 69.6% 87.2%

No 21.3% 30.4% 12.8%

N = 200 Radio TV CellphoneMen (n=53) Yes 100.0% 11.1% 55.6%

No - 88.9% 44.4%Women (n=47) Yes 100.0% 5.9% 56.0%

No - 94.1% 44.0%

Guinea

Cameroon

Guinea• Radio is the most important

and common media asset own by both men & women

• Cellphone ownership - half• TV is not widespread

Cameroon• All media-related assets

owned by more than 50% of both men & women

• Women seem to own more media-related assets

• Cellphone is the 1st most common media, radio the 2nd

Access and ownership of media-related assets (radio, television, mobile phones) in the survey areas?

Media-related assets (radio & cellphone and in least proportion TV) are commonly own by both men & women. Does it imply that it is possible to harness those ICTs to enable learning and enhance rice productivity?

How to harness ICT to enhance rice information and knowledge sharing to improve rice

productivity?

Source of rice productivity enhancing information and knowledge

Public Extension

Research (IRAD)

Radio

TV

Agro-dealer

Farmer

Cellphone

NGO

Association/Union

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

WomenMen

ANPROCA (ext)

Union/ Association

Recherche

Radio rurale

TV

ONG

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

WomenMen

Land preparation

Cameroon Guinea

Source of rice productivity enhancing information and knowledge

Crop management

Cameroon Guinea

Public Extension

Research (IRAD)

Radio

TV

Agro-dealer

Farmer

Cellphone

NGO

Association/Union

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

WomenMen

ANPROCA (ext)

Union/ Association

Recherche

Radio rurale

TV

ONG

RTN

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

WomenMen

Source of rice productivity enhancing information and knowledge

Post harvest

Cameroon Guinea

Public Extension

Research (IRAD)

Radio

TV

Agro-dealer

Farmer

Cellphone

NGO

Association/Union

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

WomenMen

ANPROCA (ext)

Union/ Association

Recherche

Radio rurale

TV

ONG

RTG

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

WomenMen

Source of rice productivity enhancing information and knowledge

Marketing

Cameroon Guinea

Public Extension

Research (IRAD)

Radio

TV

Agro-dealer

Farmer

Cellphone

NGO

Association/Union

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

WomenMen

ANPROCA (ext)

Union/ Association

Recherche

Radio rurale

TV

ONG

RTG

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%

WomenMen

Conclusion Bring media to serve smallholders, especially women who

perform onerous rice activities

For rice learning and development to be scaled out effectively, smallholders should benefit from the potential of ICT in agricultural development

Using rural radio for agricultural information and knowledge dissemination has proven to be a successful and gender-sensitive initiative to increase the farmer outreach, fill the agricultural extension gap not only for men but also for women

Potential of rural radio esp. as platforms for better access to rice information and knowledge

Lessons learned Encourage up-to-date agricultural information and

knowledge packaging under audio-visual tools to be used for training (ToT, farmers…) and media

Encourage use of ICTs to complement face-to-face agricultural extension and advisory services to farmers

Encourage extension staff to participate to radio broadcast (interactive broadcasting)

Combine adequately the use of radio, TV and mobile phone for greater success (audio, visualization, interaction)

Build an effective partnership with rural media to fill the agricultural knowledge GAP and equitably reach men and female farmers

Thank you!Merci!