Integrating Gender in Extension in Bangladesh

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Development Perspective of Gender into Agriculture Extension Services in Bangladesh: How far to go?

Research TeamDr. M. Wakilur RahmanNishith Zahan Tanny

05/03/2023

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Presentation Outline

Enabling Environment

Organizational Commitment

Way forward

Background

Development Perspectives

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Background

Agricultural extension helps in..

• Promoting agricultural productivity

• Increasing food security

• Improving rural livelihoods

• An engine of pro-poor economic growth

Women farmers made up 40 percent of the total agricultural labour force (Akter et.al (2015)

Gender does not mean woman only- Gender-sensitive Unequal access to productive resources

Less access to decision making process

Shift on gender mainstreaming

Gender incorporation in agriculture extension, indeed important

How, when??

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Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Indian Sub-continent Bangladesh Perspectives

Phase I: Colonial Agriculture• Experimental stations were established in many Asian countries by the colonial powers

• Technical advice was provided to plantation managers and large landowners

• Assistance to small farmers who grew subsistence crops was rare, except in times of crisis

• Persuasive + paternalistic paradigm (Top-down approach)

• Women were not recognized as farmer to receive the extension services

Phase II: After Ending the British Rule• Commodity-based extension services emerged• Various schemes were initiated to meet the needs of small farmers, with support from foreign donors• Training and Visit system (T&V) was dominated• Regular messages were delivered to groups of farmers, promoting the adoption of 'green revolution'

technologies• Persuasive + paternalistic paradigm (Top-down approach)

• Women were not recognized as farmer to receive the extension services

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Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Bangladesh Perspectives

Phase III: Gender incorporation

• Women recognized as recipient of extension who are involved in agriculture (early 70s to mid-90s)

• Enhance capacity to do farming better• Soon realized the importance of the approach but……….

This is not sufficient to address gender

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Agriculture Extension and Gender_ Bangladesh Perspectives

Phase IV: Modern Extension Services

• Addressing control of productive resources

• Beyond transferring new technologies

• Capacity building as well as broadening the linkages

• Improving opportunities for rural employment

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Shifting Paradigm

Sustainable

Top-downInform

T&V systems Consult Involve CollaborateEffective

Rese

arch

Deve

lopm

ent

Trai

ning

Educ

ation

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Shifting ParadigmFrom To

Increasing production /productivity Improved income and more productive employment opportunities

Training Demand based training and gender incorporation

Distribution of inputs Development of local capacity for sustained availability of inputs and services by gender

Selection of interventions based on PRA

Demand-led and based on analysis of client data

Centrally designed ideas Both male and female aspirations carefully analyzed

Fixed/uniform Evolving/diverseIndividual Working in partnershipInclusion by accident Inclusion by design

Still lacking …………………………………to integrate gender into extension

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Enabling Environment- Policy Level

National Agriculture Policy 2013 (from Bengali version)- Increased women participation in management decision making and their advancement in

agriculture; - Ensure women’s equal access to agricultural inputs including technology; - Efforts will be made to ensure non-discrimination in wages.

New Agriculture Extension Policy 2015 (Draft in Bengali)- Tenant farmers, young, women and land less families should give especial priority;- Women farmers are encouraged to lead and occupy decision making positions;

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Enabling environment- Policy Level

7th Five Year Plan (Four Strategic plan related to women)- Improve women’s human capabilities- Increase women’s economic gains - Enhance women’s voice and agency - Create an enabling environment for women’s advancement

Other Relevant PoliciesNational Women Development Policy- 2011National Rural Development Policy- 2011

National Food Policy 2008 - Plan of Action (2008-2015)Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper-II

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Goal#1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere1.2 Reduce poverty at least by half the proportion of men, women and children

1.4 Ensure that all men and women, ……..have equal rights to economic resources…..

1.a Create sound policy frameworks at the national, regional and international levels, based on pro-poor and gender-sensitive development strategies

Goal#5 Achieving Gender Equality5.1 End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls;

5.2 Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls;

5.3 Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage

5.4 Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work

5.5 Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership

Sustainable Development Goals

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Goal#2 End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture production

1.1 Ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round;

2.3 Double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food

producers, in particular women,..

Sustainable Development Goals

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Organizational Commitment Agricultural Universities

Mandate: Offering higher education and research in agricultural field

Education: Profession based agricultural education

Research: Producing researcher for agricultural development (basic and applied research)

Technology generate & Transfer: Innovate new technology and disseminate them at certain level

20

80

Gender & Extension Others

Sylhet AU

4

96


Sher E Bangla AU

1

99


BSMRAU

13.4

86.6


BAU

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Issues BAU BSMRAU Sher-e Bangla AU Sylhet AU

Achievement Skilled human capital for modernizing agriculture

Change agent for solving agricultural problem

Limited extension services

Outreach center disseminating developed varieties and technologies

Outreach programs offering training to farmers, agricultural professionals and teachers, organizing farmer’s group and solving agricultural problems

Agricultural graduate and applied research

Gaps

Small scale area coverage

At undergraduate level no distinct course on gender and development

Advanced research on gender and extension services

At undergraduate level no distinct course on gender and development

No institutionalized extension services

At undergraduate level need course on gender and development


More research on gender and agriculture extension

At undergraduate level course on gender and development


More research on gender, and extension

Agricultural Universities

There is a course at MS level related to Gender

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Organizational Commitment Research Organizations

Mandate: Innovation and technology dissemination

Research: New technology, disease inspection, socio-economic analysis

Training or Skill Development: Extension workers, researchers, farmers, other personnel

Technology Transfer: To the end users at certain percent (Trail and dissemination)

Issues BARI BRRI BINA BFRI BLRI

Reviewed Documents No. 15 20 21 20 89

Relevant to gender and extension 2 10 6 ext. 1-ext. 2- ext.

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5050


BRRI

13

87


BARI

10

90


BINA

9

91


BFRI2

98


BLRI

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Issues BARI BRRI BINA BFRI BLRI

Achievements

Development of 936 technologiesClimate sensitive and farmer’s responsive technologies

Tripling annual rice productionBRRI technology-income generation and employment creation

Improved livelihoodDissemination of problem solving technologies (salt / disease resistance, shorter duration)Training and dissemination

Farmer’s training

Dissemination of BFRI invented technology

Household earnings

Livelihood improvements

Gaps More attention has been paid on economic suitability ignored social issues

Provision of future planning for extension but not explicitly gender

Emphasis on economic feasibility with little/no importance on social aspects

Future priority on gender equality but yet to implement

Need attention on gender incorporation

They also offer training for the farmers, and technical professional

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Issues BARC

Mandate Coordinate research and foster inter-institute collaboration;

Monitor and review the research program of NARS institutes; Like APEXAssist institutes to strengthen research capacities,

Establish system-wide operational policies and standard management procedures

Activities relevant to gender and extension

No specific intervention has been identified

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Organizational Commitment Training and Applied research

Mandate: Need based initiatives to improve livelihoodsTraining or Skill Development: Income generating activities Applied Research: Rural developmentTechnology Transfer: To the end users

Issues RDA BARD

Reviewed Documents No.

50 162

Relevant to gender and extension

29 18

11

91

Gender & ExtensionOthers

BARD

42

58Gender & ExtensionOthers

RDA

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Issues RDA BARD

Achievements • Rural development• Women in extension• Poverty alleviation• Progress in gender relation• Explicit gender division

• Technology demonstration services• Extensive training on gender inclusion• Rural development

Gaps Need to increase coverage More applied research

Training and Applied research

They offer training for the farmers, and different professional

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Organizational Commitment DAE

Mandate:Providing extension services to ensure socio-economic developmentTraining or Skill Development: Both farmers and professionals

Technology Transfer: To the end users

Issues DAE

Reviewed Documents No. 50

Relevant to gender and extension

15

30

70


DAE

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Issues DAE Achievements • Highest extension coverage

• Improved livelihood through improved technology transfer

• Farmers’ training components also strong (gender also considered)

Gaps Integrating gender into development agendaMore collaboration needed with others

DAE

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Organizational Commitment Dev. organizations

Mandate: Socio-economic development and ensure equityResearch: Economic and social development

Training or Skill Development: Women, men, practitionersTechnology Transfer: Supported by Govt./ other agencies

Issue Dev. Organizations

No. of organizations reviewed 39Working on gender and nutrition 37

5

95


Dev. Organiza-tions

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Issues Development Organizations

Achievements • Progress on health and education• Social and economic empowerment• Inclusiveness of marginal population• Extension services

Gaps More focus on human rights and justice but lacking

continuation of work as well as inadequate participant coverage

Dev. Organizations

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EXPERT OPINION

• Recognized the importance of gender inclusion in research/project/training

• Realized the importance of extension coverage- few of them not clear with specific interventions

• All reported the strong needs for collaboration and integration

With some observations---• Previous initiative did not work• Superiority ….. Complexity• Acceptability • Distinct features…..??

Source: KIIs

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Sustainable

Top-downInform

T&V systems Consult Involve Collaborate

Effective

Rese

arch

Deve

lopm

ent

Trai

ning

Educ

ation

WHERE WE ARE?

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Way Forward

Integration and collaboration of education, research, extension and development organizations

Sustainable agriculture extension services in Bangladesh

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THANKS

Integrating Gender in Extension in Bangladesh

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Integrating Gender in Extension in Bangladesh