Title: The role of women in evolving agricultural economies of Asia and the Near East : implications for A.I.D.'s strategic planning
Abstract:When USAID formulated its regional agricultural strategy for Asia and Western Asia it recognized that gender issues would be key determinants of its goals of increasing income increasing food availabi...When USAID formulated its regional agricultural strategy for Asia and Western Asia it recognized that gender issues would be key determinants of its goals of increasing income increasing food availability and enhancing the natural resource base. This strategy led to specifically designed priorities for low-income agricultural economies middle-income transitional economies and middle-income industrializing economies. After a consideration of womens economic activity and changing roles in agriculture this report discusses the dynamics of agricultural transformation and its gender-differentiated effects and growth strategies and the movement of labor out of agriculture for each of these economies. The importance of gender in achieving agricultural strategy objectives is then delineated in terms of agribusiness development; natural resources management (policy review and reform restoration of degraded uplands and integrated pest management as well as integrated soil fertility management); agricultural planning and analysis (identifying production and marketing systems with a dynamic comparative advantage tracking and analyzing the changing characteristics of the rural labor force assessing impacts of policy interventions on specific segments of the rural population strengthening the analytical capacity of planning agencies and achieving food security); infrastructure management (irrigation systems rural roads and markets); and agricultural technology development and management (support for international and national Agricultural Research Centers). This review led to three general conclusions: 1) knowledge of the patterns of gender-based division of labor is essential to understanding resource use and agriculture; 2) policies are rarely gender-neutral in their implementation; and 3) specific investment in the education of girls and women and in generating employment opportunities is more important to achieving food system objectives than similar investments in boys and men. Specific recommendations are also made for employing women recognizing the vital role of women in natural resource management including a gender component in agricultural planning and analysis and keeping womens special needs in mind while designing infrastructure investments and new production-enhancing technologies.Read More
Publication Year: 1991
Publication Date: 1991-01-01
Language: en
Type: book
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