The influence of gender norms on agricultural innovation process: Empirical insights from BangladeshLemlem Aregu, Cynthia McDougall, Surendran Rajaratnam and Afrina Choudhury

A joint SPIA-PIM conference on Impacts of Agricultural Research, Nairobi, 6–8 July 2017

• Effective agricultural innovation among women and men is critical to reducing poverty and improving food security

• However, the ability of development interventions to catalyze and support innovations for women and men is limited o Lack of understanding the influence of gender norms on innovation

Introduction

• Generate empirical insight on how AR4D, the Fish Agri-Food Systems CRP and other CRPs can: o catalyze, support & actualize innovation processes o equitably benefit women, men and youth.

• GENNOVATE—A collaborative qualitative study in CGIAR: o 11 CGIAR research programs in 26 countrieso using a standardized tools and semi-structured questioners o examined the socio-ecological system in local contextso looked at norms governing gender roles and relations, and how

these affect agriculture innovation processes

Aim of the study

• Six villages in Bangladesh o Islam and Hinduismo Varying salinity levels

• Gender-disaggregatedo 36 focus group discussions

(18 per gender group) o 24 key informant interviews

(12 per gender group) o Guided by semi-structured

questioners

• Qualitative gender analysis o NVivo 10 software o Content analysis

Study sites and methods

Gender norms affect capacity of women & men to innovate• Gender norms restrict women’s mobility

o Inhibit women accessing services such as training, information and markets, which are important for innovation

• ‘Acceptable work’ for women and men influences: o Women’s & men’s motivations to innovate o Women’s & men’s scope and sphere of innovation

While women engaged only around the homestead and at small scale, men went beyond the homestead to engage at large scale

Gendered differences in the sphere and scope of innovation

For women For men Common • Raising poultry• Keeping livestock• Helping husbands in paddy

& vegetable production

• Rice production • Vegetable production • Fishing & aquaculture • Growing sesame

Gendered differences in the sphere and scope of innovation

For women For men Common • Raising poultry• Keeping livestock• Helping husbands in paddy

& vegetable production

• Rice production • Vegetable production • Fishing & aquaculture • Growing sesame

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

We can do research

Sesame require less water

Rice farming is the main livelihood of the community

Access to farmland

Fishing & rice production are men tasks

To diversify crop( rice with veg)

High productivity

Suitable water quality for fish

Inputs available

High yield

High profit

Many training

High earning

Increase consumption

Can be done along with domestic work

Veg prod requires less efforts

Women don't need to go far from home

Easy to handle

Less investment cost required

Can be cultivated in small land

Percentage of focus group respondents (%)

Fact

ors

that

mot

ivat

ed in

divi

dual

s to

inno

vate

Women'sfocus groupdiscussions

Men's focusgroupdiscussions

Gender norms shape the motivation of women and men to innovate

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

We can do research

Sesame require less water

Rice farming is the main livelihood of the community

Access to farmland

Fishing & rice production are men tasks

To diversify crop( rice with veg)

High productivity

Suitable water quality for fish

Inputs available

High yield

High profit

Many training

High earning

Increase consumption

Can be done along with domestic work

Veg prod requires less efforts

Women don't need to go far from home

Easy to handle

Less investment cost required

Can be cultivated in small land

Percentage of focus group respondents (%)

Fact

ors

that

mot

ivat

ed in

divi

dual

s to

inno

vate

Women'sfocus groupdiscussions

Men's focusgroupdiscussions

Exte

rnal

supp

ort

oppo

rtun

ity

stru

ctur

e

Conv

enie

nce

While convenience of the innovation shaped women’s motivation, external support shaped men’s motivation

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Lack of training

No access to quality land

Fish virus

Land shortage

Poor water quality/saline water

Financial problem

water shortage/low water level

Lack of improved seed

Insect attack

Percentage of focus group respondents (%)

Fact

ors

that

hin

dere

d in

nova

tions

Women's focusgroup discussions

Men's focus groupdiscussions

Women’s capacity to innovate is hindered by their limited access to services and resources

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Having required knowledge and information

Loan available

Government support

Inputs provision

Training

Proximity to river

Good quality soil & water

Proximity to market

Hard work

Percentage of focus group respondents (%)

Fact

ors

that

sup

port

ed in

nova

tion

Women's focusgroup discussions

Men's focus groupdiscussions

Conversely, those same types of factors support men’s innovations

Implications & opportunities • Taking gender norms into account in innovation processes enables

more gender-inclusive development

• This insight:o helps WorldFish programs and projects to better accommodate

women’s and men’s needso guides AR4D in how it should catalyze and implement innovation

processes to benefit both women and men efficiently and equally.

Implications & opportunities • Move agricultural development processes from gender-inclusive to

gender-transformative

• Gender-transformative approaches address the root causes of gender inequalities related to gender norms and relations.

• Not only ensures gender equality, but also contributes to:o higher adoption of innovationso enhanced incomes and diversified livelihoods for women and meno enhanced food security and poverty reduction.

Thank You