Women in Agriculture,Gender and Water Indicators

Ilaria Sisto

World Water Week 2012Stockholm, 27th August 2012

FAO Support to the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) Gender Strategy

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Outline

1. Women in agriculture and the gender gap

2. Gender-sensitive Indicators for water resources in agriculture

3. FAO Support to the implementation of the AMCOW Gender strategy

Women from Sub-Saharan Africa spend

about 40 billion hours/year collecting

water

Source: ILO.Share of employed population by sector and gender

1. Women are a key resource in agriculture

Women farmers produce less per unit of land...

Gap between yields on male- and female-controlled plots in Burkina Faso

-41

-21 -18

-45

-40

-35

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

Sorghum Vegetables All cropsPercentage

… because women use fewer inputs (e.g. fertilizer)

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

Nigeria Malawi

Madagascar Ghana

Viet NamTajikistan

PakistanNepal

Bangladesh

Panama Nicaragua Guatemala

Ecuador Bolivia

Percentage of households using fertilizers

Male-headed households Female-headed households

… and women control less land

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Malawi Madagascar

Ghana

Viet NamTajikistan Pakistan

Nepal Indonesia

Bangladesh

Panama Nicaragua

Guatemala Ecuador

Bolivia

Average farm size (ha)

Male-headed households Female-headed households

Economic and social gains from closing the gender gap

Agriculture productivity gains on women’s farms and at national level

Food security gains with a reduction in the number of hungry people

Broader economic and social gains Improve health, nutrition and education for children Build human capital and promote economic growth

Steps to close the gender gap

Ensure equality for women under the law Invest in women and girls Provide public services and technologies to

free up women’s time Consider gender differences in agricultural policy Address the multiple constraints of women in

agriculture holistically

Management of land and water resources Access to paid employment Educational attainment Institutional empowerment

e.g. Empowerment (legal, political, economic and social empowerment of women and men)

2. Gender-sensitive indicators in water resources management at national level

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

% urban water supply coverage % rural water supply coverage % total water supply coverage

Monitoring MDG 8: Access to drinking water

Management of land indicators:

Percentage farms managed by women

Percentage cultivated area managed by women

Distribution of farm sizes between men and women

①

②

③

Access to water indicators:

Number of men and women with access to drinking water in relation to the total population

Proportion of rural households (male and female headed) connected to reticulated water

Proportion of people (families) dependent on a community pump for drinking water of total population.

①

②

③

Access of women to paid employment

1. Statistics reflect only part of reality as many workers are paid in cash and payments are not officially registered

2. Contributions of women and children are not recorded

3. Majority of farms (approx. 85%) are « managed by the family »

Access to paid employment indicators:

Percentage women hours worked in agriculture sectors

Percentage women in the agriculture labour force in the irrigation sector

Ratio men/women in paid permanent and seasonal employment in the irrigation sector

Percentage of women with social security coverage.

①

②

③

①

Educational attainment indicators:

Number of rural boys and girls enrolled in schools

Number of men and women employed in the irrigation sector who received training

Number of men and women with each education level working in agriculture sectors

Ratio men/women of extension staff involved in the irrigation sector.

①

②

③

①

Institutional empowerment indicators:

Percentage women employees in a ministry (water ministry or equivalent)

Percentage women in decision-making positions

Percentage women members of the irrigation associations

①

②

③

SEAGA Irrigation Sector Guide

Passport to mainstreaming gender in water programmes:

Key questions for interventions in the agricultural sector

www.fao.org

3. FAO Tools

FAO Policy on Gender Equality

• Framework to guide FAO’s efforts to achieve gender equality in all its technical work and assess results.

• 30% of total agricultural aid is committed to women and gender equality by 2025.

• One standard for gender mainstreaming is strengthening the capacity of Member countries in policy analysis, gender equality planning and evaluation.

Strengthen government technical and functional capacities to address gender inequality in agriculture sectors.

Three dimensions: individuals, organizations and enabling environment.

Portfolio of CD instruments: training, policy advice, organizational analysis, knowledge management, network creation, coaching, knowledge sharing and pilot new approaches.

FAO Support to Member Countries

What else can be done?

Strengthen extension systems and institutions to be more responsive and inclusive of women

Address structural barriers to women’s access to productive resources

Improve financial systems to respond to needs of rural women producers and entrepreneurs

Close the gender gap in the rural labour markets.