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What are the main challenges to gender equality in agriculture finance?
The discussion in this forum has so far has highlighted the fact that gender disparities exist with respect to and control of productive assets. This is particularly so for issues around access to land. It appears that the main challenges of gender equality in agricultural finance is embedded in the land tenure systems of many countries across Africa. In these countries, very few women farmers have title to ownership, especially where lands are either community owned or family inherited, where women tend to be disadvantaged in the inheritance arrangements. Without proper titles, they are also not able to use their lands as collateral for seeking credit financing. This is a big hindrance to agricultural development and production, given the importance of women in food production across Africa. It is generally known that investments in land ownership and soil improvements measures are low among small-scale food crop farmers, especially women, and these lead to low fertility, low yields, and low profitability.
Due to gender disparities in land and farm sizes, relatively more women tend to be subsistence farmers, and cultivate food crops for household consumption whilst men focus on cash crops and more profitable ventures. With the increasing pressure on land in many rural communities, due to population growth, land is becoming increasingly difficult to access by women, especially those owned by communities.
Unfortunately, the policy environment in many countries do not seem to favour women due to weak government institutions for land reforms; for acquisition and property rights. For instance, in Ghana, the Government identified several challenges including weak system of administration characterized by fragmented institutions and general indiscipline in the land market through its national land policy. These problems have led to inadequate security of tenure, difficult accessibility to land and subsequent loss of livelihoods by farmers, especially women. The Government had subsequently articulated its long-term objectives to address land administration issues to reduce poverty and to enhance social and economic growth through improving security of tenure, simplifying processes of land acquisition, fostering prudent land management practices, developing the land market, and establishing an efficient and sustainable system of land administration, both state and customary (Larbi 1999). Such measures should address gender considerations to ensure women have equal access to productive assets including land.
It would be desirable to see the rights of small-scale women farmers protected, to enable them to invest in soil improvement and other measures that will help them to improve their operations, productivity and income. This is likely to lead to the improved benefits of economies of scale for women farmers.
Gender Equality in Agriculture Finance
Soumis par Cecil NARTEY le lun, 24/07/2017 - 20:04 Permalien
What are the main challenges to gender equality in agriculture finance?
The discussion in this forum has so far has highlighted the fact that gender disparities exist with respect to and control of productive assets. This is particularly so for issues around access to land. It appears that the main challenges of gender equality in agricultural finance is embedded in the land tenure systems of many countries across Africa. In these countries, very few women farmers have title to ownership, especially where lands are either community owned or family inherited, where women tend to be disadvantaged in the inheritance arrangements. Without proper titles, they are also not able to use their lands as collateral for seeking credit financing. This is a big hindrance to agricultural development and production, given the importance of women in food production across Africa. It is generally known that investments in land ownership and soil improvements measures are low among small-scale food crop farmers, especially women, and these lead to low fertility, low yields, and low profitability.
Due to gender disparities in land and farm sizes, relatively more women tend to be subsistence farmers, and cultivate food crops for household consumption whilst men focus on cash crops and more profitable ventures. With the increasing pressure on land in many rural communities, due to population growth, land is becoming increasingly difficult to access by women, especially those owned by communities.
Unfortunately, the policy environment in many countries do not seem to favour women due to weak government institutions for land reforms; for acquisition and property rights. For instance, in Ghana, the Government identified several challenges including weak system of administration characterized by fragmented institutions and general indiscipline in the land market through its national land policy. These problems have led to inadequate security of tenure, difficult accessibility to land and subsequent loss of livelihoods by farmers, especially women. The Government had subsequently articulated its long-term objectives to address land administration issues to reduce poverty and to enhance social and economic growth through improving security of tenure, simplifying processes of land acquisition, fostering prudent land management practices, developing the land market, and establishing an efficient and sustainable system of land administration, both state and customary (Larbi 1999). Such measures should address gender considerations to ensure women have equal access to productive assets including land.
It would be desirable to see the rights of small-scale women farmers protected, to enable them to invest in soil improvement and other measures that will help them to improve their operations, productivity and income. This is likely to lead to the improved benefits of economies of scale for women farmers.