Introduction to Women’s Collective Action in Tanzania

WCA Project Team Meeting, Bamako, 7th April 2011

2

Poverty in Tanzania

• Tanzania still remains one of the poorest countries in the world, because agricultural growth barely keeps pace with the population growth rate of 2.8% per annum. An estimated 36% of the population was still living below one US dollar a day in 2003.

• At the current rate of poverty reduction (3% in ten years), it would take 120 years for poverty to be eliminated.

Some farming facts

• Less than 20% of the farmers use any sort of inputs at all, including farmyard manure.

• Only about 4% of the land with potential for irrigation is under irrigation.

Market access

• Access to internal and external markets is limited by– physical isolation from markets – poor organization among rural smallholder farmers and

producers. – absence of truly people owned cooperatives, – where membership, of women is very low being (9%) for

Agricultural Marketing Cooperatives (AMCOS) and Savings and (30%) for Credit Cooperatives in Shinyanga region.

– Cooperatives are also characterised by a very low capital base and poor leadership

Gender in agriculture

• In Shinyanga region only 26% of female household heads can read and write, compared to 65% for their male counterparts.

• Despite the country’s legislation, legal protection for women remains little and traditional, mostly strongly discriminatory views on gender roles, remain the widespread norm, resulting in a large share of poverty deprivations burdened by women.

Access to land for women

• the government acknowledges customary and Islamic law, which encompasses tolerating their discriminatory practices, e.g. traditional inheritance to only male heirs are granted legal.

Credit and inputs

• Women HH have low access to inputs and credit because:– not familiar with the credit providers– don't know about the possible credit options– have little bargaining power in the market– don't know where to sell the crop

Local Chicken Value Chain

The local chicken value chain provides good sources of access to production and control of benefits to women.

Vegetable collection centreMany women are involved in vegetable production in Tanga Region. Women are know to produce and deliver high quality vegetables.

Sisal value chainOxfam has brought sisal as a cash crop from the coast to Shinyanga region.

Hand processing of sisalWomen and children are traditionally involved in fibre and rope making.

Old sisal processing machineNew raspadoras have been issued on loan to modernise and add vale to fibre processing

Rice value chainTransplanting of rice seedlings is one of the innovations that contributes to higher production

14

Irrigation channel with silt trap

Irrigation structures are build through ‘Cash for Work’ approach

Pastoralist projectLand rights and small ruminant production for markets are the new focus of the pastoralist project.

17

Value chain approach in EJ programme

Land & property rights

Natural environment& resources

Gender roles & behaviours

Social norms & informal networks

Governance, commerciallaw & enforcementInfrastructure Trade rules &

competition policy

Consumer trends

Competition

Quality standards& regulations

(DIS)ENABLINGENVIRONMENT

Alternative livelihood strategies

Primary Producers

Consumer:•International•National•Local

Exporters / Importers

Processors

Inputs

RetailersTraders

Transport

Finance

Credit

Insurance Savings

Production

AccreditationExtension

Financial Management Business

Development

QualityAssurance

BusinessManagement

Brand Development

MarketInformation

TradeFacilitation

MARKETCHAIN

MARKETSERVICES

Value chain gender focal areasValue chain Market chain Services Environment

Local chicken Women producersCollection centresTradersInputs: feedsRegional markets

Functional literacyBusiness development: market information systems; business management skillsSACCOSVaccination

Gender roles and behaviour: livestock ownership and benefitsTrade policies and licenses

Rice Women producer groupsRice schemesProcessors: millers and tradersDomestic and export marketsInputs: fertilisers, irrigation

Functional literacyBusiness development: market information systems; business management skillsSACCOSPost harvest quality

Gender roles and behaviourWarehouse receipt systemsPublic expenditure trackingMulti-stakeholder platforms

Sisal Nursery operatorsWomen producersProcessors: raspadoras, brushing machine, rope makingDomestic market

Functional literacyBusiness development: market information systems; business management skillsProduction: extension services through district and NGOs

Gender roles and behaviour: labour and benefits; intra-household benefits; intra-household financial managementPublic expenditure trackingTrade rules: Multi-stakeholder platforms, by-laws; codes of business conduct

Value chain focal areasValue chain Market chain Services Environment

Vegetable Input dealersWomen producersCollection centresTradersTransportDSM and local markets

Functional literacyBusiness developmentSACCOSExtension

Gender roles and behaviourAccess to irrigation

Pastoralist livestock

Women pastoralistsGoat collection centresCooperative factoriesSupermarketsCollective cattle marketing

Functional literacyBusiness developmentVaccination

Gender roles and behaviour: livestock ownership and benefitsLand and property rightsNatural resources

Current gender research activities

• Women’s Collective Action for Market Access (BMGF)

• MSc study on ‘Women’s Access to Secure Land Tenure’

• MSc study on ‘Indigenous knowledge and decision-making processes in risk resilience amongst female small-holder farmers’

Thank you