Gender Assessment 2015

Gender Assessment.

Equality, Economic Diversification and Improved Livelihoods in South Sudan

Robert Waswaga, Kenwill International Limited

World Vision, Care and Oxfam, 2015.

The assessment was conducted in Western Bahr el Ghazal (Wau county), Northern Bahr el Ghazal (Aweil East county), Eastern Equatoria state (Torit county), Warrap (Tonj South and Gogrial West counties), Lake state (Wulu county), Western Equatoria (Yambio and Tambura counties) and Central Equatoria State (Juba county). A total of 637 respondents (259 males and 378 females) participated in the assessment at the household level in seven states of Western Bahr el Ghazal, Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Eastern Equatoria, Warrap, Lakes, Western Equatoria, and Central Equatoria. A total of 14 focus group discussions and 15 key informant interviews were held and were supplemented by a review of the existing literature on gender-related issues.

Key Findings and Recommendations

a) Gender relations and division of labour:

 Reproductive Roles: Women and girls performed most of the reproductive roles in the household (cooking, bathing children, washing, cleaning, fetching water and collecting firewood).

 Productive Roles: Men performed productive roles (crop cultivation for sale, cattle rearing, marketing, fishing, beekeeping, poultry production and participation in savings groups). Women, however, contribute significantly to productive activity, for example, in the form of post-harvest handling. The assessment found that men and boys had more access, ownership and control of most productive resources such as land, livestock, farm income, education, and extension services. They also had ownership of household property, such as bicycles and radios.

 Community Roles: Community engagement, in the form of participation in community meetings, leadership in community structures and groups and community construction works were performed predominantly by men.

Recommendation: Raise awareness amongst men, women and community leaders about the benefits of incorporating gender equality into community initiatives and livelihood activities.

b) Participation of Men and Women in Agricultural Production

The FEED project seeks to improve agricultural production and productivity for women and men through a variety of interventions.

Access to agriculture extension services: Access to agriculture extension services for both women and men from within the community, state and non-state actors was found low in all states surveyed. Most male and female farmers use traditional knowledge and skills in crop and livestock production.

Recommendation: Provide agriculture extension services appropriate to both men and women involved in crop cultivation and livestock production; support the establishment of Farmers’ Field Schools to act as demonstration sites in different counties to promote practical learning of agricultural production; support the training of selected government agriculture extension workers in gender and modern farming methods and technologies.

Participation in post-harvest handling: The assessment found that women performed post-harvest handling at the household level. Most women, however, use outdated methods that reduce the quality of produce and consequently, the income realized from sale of farm produce. There are few storage facilities for agriculture produce and thus, both men and women will typically sell their farm produce immediately after harvest. Recommendations: Support practical agricultural training of both women and men appropriate methods of post handling techniques for key enterprises, especially in crop production. Encourage households and farmers groups to construct storage facilities using locally-available materials.

Level of access to agriculture inputs and technology: The assessment found limited access by both men and women to agriculture inputs in all states surveyed. There was low use of modern technology in agriculture production and other economic activities by both men and women. Male and female farmers in target areas cannot afford farming inputs on their own without external support. There are few shops in villages that sell agriculture inputs.

Recommendations: Procure and distribute relevant agricultural inputs to male and female farmers relevant for crop production such as seeds, hoes, ‘pangas’, axes, ox ploughs, tarpaulin for drying of crops. Procure and distribute improved breeds of crop varieties (cassava stems, maize seeds), animals and poultry, support women and men to start small-scale seed banks where they can deposit seeds after harvest and withdraw these seeds during the planting season. Consult female and male farmers to select their own preferred and user-friendly technologies before procurement and distribution of agricultural inputs.

c) Participation of Men and Women in Economic Activity

Income and Savings: Across all seven states surveyed, the assessment found that a higher percentage of men (70.9%) and boys (3.2%) market and sell farm produce compared to women (25.1%) and girls (0.8%).

 Men are involved in marketing of high income generating agriculture and economic activities, such as cattle rearing, cultivation of crops for sale, poultry, fishing, beekeeping, charcoal burning and farm produce. Women preferred marketing low income generating agriculture and economic activities, such as growing and sale of vegetables. Village Savings and Loans Associations have higher male membership (79.3%) than female (19.8%)

Recommendation: Support training of women and men in marketing of their agriculture products; regular and up to date market information to male and female farmers on prevailing prices for different farm produce or enterprises (maize, cassava, groundnuts, sorghum, millet, vegetables, groundnuts, honey, mango and pineapple). Support and encourage women in communities to participate and take leadership position in savings groups and farmers association

d) Opportunities and Barriers to Participation in Agriculture and Economic Development

Opportunities: The assessment found that there is a large market for agriculture products, especially food crops, but that only 65% of men and 57.% of women utilize the available markets. Qualitative findings further indicated that both male and female casual labourers were available for hire to support farm production. The relatively stable security conditions in some counties also present an opportunity for agriculture production and marketing.

Barriers: The barriers to agricultural production and economic activity include illiteracy, inadequate farming and business management skills, over dependence on rain in agriculture production, limited access to credit, limited access to improved inputs of farming, and low participation in group farming and marketing.

e) The Gender Movement and Civil Society in South Sudan

There are state and non-state actors spearheading the gender movement in South Sudan.

 Opportunities in the Gender Movement: The Transitional Constitution 2011 and gender policy has created opportunity for increased women participation in policy and decision-making.

 Challenges in the Gender Movement: However, coordination, funding, transport and capacity of staff remain key major challenges of gender activists in South Sudan. Gender gaps still exist in national and state policies and laws. There is limited enforcement of gender policies and laws and community members are not aware of them.

Recommendation: Support and strengthen existing women’s CSO and networks at state and national levels to continue to advance gender equality. These should be done by supporting activists to lobby government to implement existing gender related laws and to enact new gender laws. Support CSO activists to regularly monitor and report abuses and violations of women and girls’ rights. Support training of CSOs and government leaders on gender issues.

f) Equitable Ownership of Productive Resources and Participation

One of the aims of the FEED project is to increase women’s access to productive assets and land rights.

 Productive Resources: Limited access, ownership and control of land by women is due to local cultural beliefs and practices in different states which in turn limits women’s participation in productive activities. Property ownership by both men and women is a constitutional right in the Transitional Constitution, 2011. Most findings showed that across the seven states surveyed that household assets are mostly owned by men (63.4%).

 Participation in Leadership: The assessment found limited participation of women in leadership and decision-making at the boma, payam, county, state and national levels. This was partly due to low levels of education and low levels of confidence among women. The unequal gender division of labour between men and women places a burden on women to complete domestic tasks, while also limiting women’s opportunity to participate in the leadership of community activities.

Recommendation: Support awareness creation of men and women and local leaders including those in government about the benefits of gender equality in improving community livelihoods. Encourage and support women’s participation and leadership in farmers groups.