seminar women farmers aceh strempel_150911
TRANSCRIPT
Presenter Anna StrempelAustralian Youth Ambassador for Development
Topic “Women farmers in Aceh”
Date 3pm, Thursday 15 September 2011
Venue Conference Room, ACIAR House, Canberra
Acknowledgements Strempel A (2011) Women's farming groups in Aceh: reflections from a year as a volunteer, ACIAR Seminar
Series presentation, 15 September 2011, Canberra, Australia.
Women's farming groups in Aceh: Reflections from a year as a volunteer
Anna Strempel
My Assignment
• Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program
• 9 month position (extended to 12) focusing on women’s farming groups– Needs assessment research & report– Women farmers’ forum #2– Women in Agriculture Network workshop– Strategic planning
A quick look at Aceh
The KWT project
• Began 2009 in West Aceh
• Now 25 groups, >400 women
3
11
9
11
Introducing Some Very Effective Women
Ibu
Why focus on women?Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work [and] produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property
– UNICEF 2007
Failure to account for the “roles, differences and inequities” between men and women poses “a serious threat to the effectiveness of the agricultural development agenda”
- World Bank’s ‘Gender and agriculture sourcebook’
Improvements in health care, nutrition and education can only be sustained with an increase in household income and greater control by women over financial resources.
- UNFPA 2007
Traditional gender divisions of labor often consign women farmers to subsistence production for [household] consumption. Policies and interventions that accept this as a given and assume that commercial production is the province of men will miss many opportunities to tap into the tremendous productive potential of women.”
- Ashby 2008
Needs Assessment
• Interviews – KWT leaders and full
groups– PPL– Organisations
• Literature review
PROJECT IMPACTS
Social Impacts
• Improving quality of life• Empowering women• Healthier, happier women;
healthier, happier communities
“Our whole village has been
happier since the KWT was established”
Economic Impacts
• Supplements primary income
• Buying less vegies = financial savings
• Financial empowerment
Food Security • Improving local access
to fresh fruit & veg• Diversifying range of
crops• Improving productivity
& resilience
“Meeting world food needs in future will depend… on the capabilities and resources of women”
- International Food Policy Research Institute
Health Impacts
• Improved nutrition for women & their families
38% of Acehnese children suffer stunting from malnutrition
- UNICEF 2005
Uptake of Organic Methods
• Biopesticides, organic fertilisers in use already
• Chemical use seen as unhealthy, expensive
• Women want to learn more
BUT• Chemical companies have a
stronghold• People have become
dependent
Building Capacity
Activities to date:• Forums• Peer-to-peer learning• KWT visits• Training programs• Info dist & extension (PPL,
BPTP)
Building Capacity
Learning new skills in:• Group management &
leadership• Managing finances &
credit systems• Cultivation techniques
incl. organic methods
Some things that work
• Demonstration• Farming is hard work;
KWT make it more enjoyable
• Extension officers – the local link
• Having a long-term presence
• Self-driven with support where needed
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…
Gender
“In Africa, a donkey-drawn intercrop cultivator could halve weeding time per acre, but women lack the cash to purchase new equipment and men will not invest cash when women’s manual labor is available to them at no cost.”Ashby et al 2008
• Project appropriation• Is there a role for men?• Institutional context
Land Tenure
“If women had secure title to land they could invest in it rather than merely working it, and this would encourage them to adopt sustainable farming practices.”
FAO 1999
Extension Officers
• A resource with massive potential…• Challenges:– Under resourced– Need for professional development
WHAT NEXT FOR KWT?
What is needed?• Capacity building
– Leadership training for KWTs and PPL– Organic/permaculture training– Post-harvest processing training– Further (more structured?) KWT visits
• Increased support & agency for Nazariah• Strategic planning• Achieving independence
Achieving Independence
• Women in Agriculture Network• Financing through microcredit• Building leadership skills• Expanding activities• Addressing gender and land tenure issues
BUILDING A WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE NETWORK
Women Farmers Said…Q: Do we need a network?
A: YES! We need a network because:• Groups will be more visible and more easily supported, and it
will be easier to achieve our desired goals. • When we’ve formed an organisation it will be easier for us to
achieve the things we want. • It will provide a platform for women farmers to learn together.
Women farmers can:
• Share knowledge & experiences with each other
Aceh Besar groups visit Mekar Jaya, Bireuen
Women farmers can:
• Learn more about managing groups • Become stronger leaders
Women farmers can:
• Link with helpful organisations and programs
• Develop a stronger political voice
Network Development Workshop
• 2 days• 65 attendees– KWT leaders– PPL– Academics– NGOs (ag, gender,
livelihoods, permaculture)
– Government (ag, health, food security)
Workshop Outcomes• Vision
– Women Farmers of Aceh to be an independent, prosperous network with a strong bargaining position.
• Mission– Establish and strengthen the capacity of each KWT
district/city in Aceh– Build networks and cooperate with other parties– Improve knowledge and skills of members in the KWTs– Build social and economic independence of KWT
• Links built with women leaders and supporters• Chairperson elected• Momentum
What next for the network?
• Establishing a committee
• Developing a communications strategy
• Activating links developed through workshop
• http://www.youtube.com/user/australianetworknews?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/7XMaiRONdUY