Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor

2.1 ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

2.1.8 Organising informal economy groups

Recommendation: 10. Foster more participation of vulnerable groups’ in informal groups by adapting the criteria to obtain membership and to stay a member.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: the evaluation notes that women’s participation in water users associations (WUAs) in Kenya was constantly undermined by several factors: 

- The payment required by WUAs (in cash or in kind) for the access to associations and the use of water is often beyond the means of very poor women;

- Membership is often restricted to registered landowners, who very often are men.

- Staying in the associations’ planning bodies requires time: women don’t dispose necessary time to participate to all the activities.

- Although women emerge as the main beneficiaries of improved water management in the community, their substantial contributions are largely hidden behind social norms regarding gender roles and relations.

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2.3 DIRECT ACTIONS IN COMMUNITIES

2.3.3. Information Technology (IT) and enhancing of livelihoods of people dependent on the IE

Recommendation: 2. Introduce mobile technology when designing IE development projects. They can be very useful to shorten the distance between service providers and local populations.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: the paper shows two case studies. The Women of Uganda Network, engaging with existing informal local communication networks, use information channels that are familiar to women – radio, extension officers, and word-of mouth. Mobile phones are given to women’s groups to call extension officers or share information between groups, and a radio to listen to local agricultural radio shows.

Second, M-Kilimo is a helpline for Kenyan farmers, developed by Kenya’s largest call centre and business processing operator, KenCall, with support from the Rockefeller Foundation. Agricultural expertise and advice is given to farmers. Farmers can speak to a real person for agricultural expertise and advice. During its first 18 months of operation, M-Kilimo reached 25,000 farmers, and it was estimated that 43% of them were women.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.2. Social inclusion promotion (awareness raising on social inclusion in IE)

Recommendation: 3) Giving marginalised groups a voice in governance and investment. This involves supporting marginalised groups in dealings with governments, and also helping them with any negotiations around pre-commercial investments such as technologies and irrigation; or access to resources such as land rights for women.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: the study notes research undertaken by Oxfam, that argues that to support marginalised people, barriers that perpetuate power dynamics should be addressed, and advocates for disrupting markets and rebalancing power via four forms of interventions:

1) Supporting producer organisations (POs): Assist POs to build the market power of producers, and encourage them to take progressive measures to ensure equal participation and benefits for women and marginalised producers.

2) Supporting new business models: There are specialised intermediaries and service providers who fill an important gap in markets for smallholders. They can act as a broker - enabling a poorly organised producer base (smallholders) to connect to sophisticated and modern input and output markets; and support in product quality control, processing, and access to inputs. Development programmes should work with such enterprises to support them so that they are not only commercially efficient, but also empower smallholders, including women, by helping them become more competitive and able to access more lucrative formal markets.

3) Making pre-commercial investments: Providing assets and training to support marginalised people who lack the assets and skills necessary to use markets to lift themselves out of poverty.

4) Giving marginalised groups a voice in governance and investment: This involves supporting marginalised groups in dealings with governments, and also helping them with any negotiations around pre-commercial investments such as technologies and irrigation; or access to resources such as land rights for women.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 1) Promote the carrying out of gender analysis on IE issues. This should include analysis to reach an understanding of:

• Gender roles and responsibilities in the household and the community
• Differences in access to and control over resources and decision-making,
• Factors that constrain or facilitate equal participation of women and men in community development processes. the different capacities, needs and priorities of women and men.
• Draw on the existing knowledge and capacities of men, women, boys and girls.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: even where legal systems are in place for women’s property rights, lack of knowledge or weak implementation systems can affect their ability to apply their rights. This means that women have less opportunity to derive benefits from the land, use it as collateral to access finance, and hold less bargaining power within the household and community. Two interesting African cases illustrate this situation.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 18) Ensure explicit attention to safeguard that women are included in group formation of associations / cooperatives.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: several studies assert that women are often under-represented on the water user associations (WUAs) that make decisions on water schemes; and second, the payment required by WUAs (in cash or in kind) for the use of water is often beyond the means of very poor women. It is therefore often men’s priorities in terms of location and use of water supplies that are listened to, and these are often different from those of women. Membership is normally restricted to registered landowners, who very often are men. But a major constraint on women’s participation in planning bodies is their lack of time. The growing recognition of the multi-purpose and user nature of water supply projects is also turning attention to the need to increase female membership.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.5. Strengthening IE with attention to gender issues

Recommendation: 34) Promote and facilitate women’s role in small seed enterprises such as community seed banks and seed fairs, and implement monitoring and evaluation of results to verify income benefits.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: DFID’s paper reports findings from an FAO, IFAD and World Bank publication (2008) highlighting the following gender issues around access and use of seeds:

- Women are increasingly part of small seed enterprises such as community seed banks and seed fairs, and further monitoring and evaluation of results is required to assess the benefits.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.7. Strengthening IE with attention to people affected by HIV

Recommendation: 3) Reduce the burden of HIV on agricultural households across Africa, by running a 4-points strategy that UNAIDS proposed:

• Indirect programs, such as training, credit, and access to seeds for rural families need to have special measures to benefit AIDS-affected families since they are often less able to take advantage of these services.
• Promote income-generating activities that are low in input and labour use, close to home, and with a quick cash turnaround (examples include bee-keeping, mushroom cultivation, seed gardens, and poultry).
• Help transition from labour intensive crops such as sugarcane or tea to less labour intensive crops like sweet potatoes.
• Where relevant, help the adoption of labour saving technologies for domestic tasks, particularly water fetching, firewood collection, and food preparation. In places with very high incidence, where HIV/AIDS may even depress local demand for goods and services (and thus for labour), then do not focus on labour-saving technologies and focus instead on cash transfers to promote employment.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London, Collection of projects and insights about: gender and agricultural productivity \ Gender and Access to Markets \ Vulnerable Social Groups Inclusion in several countries.

Evidence sample: the report notes that one of the most devastating effects of HIV was the rise in orphans. The death of both parents can lead to children being looked after by grandparents with impacts on agriculture. There are also vulnerable children who are unable to go to school because of lack of financial support, are caring for infected family members and are undernourished. Traditional community networks are often a source of support but the high number of orphans can overwhelm traditional systems of support. UNAIDS (2006) suggests several options/ measures that could reduce the burden of AIDS on agricultural households across Africa:

1) Indirect programs, such as training, credit, and access to seeds for rural families need to have special measures to benefit AIDS-affected families since they are often less able to take advantage of these services.

2) Promote income-generating activities that are low in input and labour use, close to home, and with a quick cash turnaround (examples include bee-keeping, mushroom cultivation, seed gardens, and poultry).

3) Help transition from labour intensive crops such as sugarcane or tea to less labour intensive crops like sweet potatoes.

4) In some cases, help the adoption of labour saving technologies for domestic tasks, particularly water fetching, firewood collection, and food preparation. In places with very high incidence, where HIV/AIDS may even depress local demand for goods and services (and thus for labour), then do not focus on labour-saving technologies and focus instead on cash transfers to promote employment.

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2.4 APPROACHES TO ENHANCE LIVELIHOODS, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

2.4.9. Strengthening IE with attention to the elderly

Recommendation: 1) Engage elderly persons in projects supporting people who are dependent on the IE and recognise that they can draw upon years of experience and knowledge.

Reference: Turrall, Susanne, 2013, A Study of Evidence in Mainstreaming Social Inclusion into Programmes Promoting Agricultural Productivity and Access to Markets among the Rural Poor, Meta-analysis of evaluations, DFID Rapid Desk-Based Review, DFID, London

Evidence sample: one organisation which is very active in programming and campaigning for older people is HelpAge International. They call for focus on the mainstreaming issues for older people, recognising that older people have years of knowledge and experience of agricultural practice, weather patterns and adapting to different climate changes which can be tapped into. Indeed, HelpAge programme aims at including older women and men in agricultural extension programmes, claiming that elderlies:

- should be recognised for their substantial knowledge and experience, in order to make credit and agricultural input schemes much more age-inclusive;

- should receive a basic income in the form of pensions;

- be engaged in programmes to capture the knowledge and experience of older farmers, women and men, of conservation farming techniques and weather patterns.