Opportunities for strengthening gender and social equity in Ethiopia’s wheat sector
This report (PDF) by CIMMYT and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development outlines how an insufficient focus on the barriers women face continues to have a significant impact on the agricultural productivity, economic growth and food security in Ethiopia. Technologies change fast, innovation is constant, and markets are volatile. Keeping up requires the effort of whole families, which is why the gendered division of labour is more porous. Women’s roles in agricultural development need to be recognized and enhanced in a global economy where migration and sickness means the head of the household cannot always be a man. Evidence collected throughout this project suggests that many government and project partners do not know how to assist with the social and gender norm changes necessary to ensure women can benefit from development equitably. Stakeholder interviews revealed confusion about gender main-streaming. More internal reflection on gender and learning throughout organizations is required. Additionally, more funds need to allocate toward gender research. The report comes with a list of recommendation. A recommendation for the government is to offer more gender-sensitive support tailored to female farmers to address their unique barriers. Research centres should develop minimum standards for agriculture research that specify the need for inclusive survey designs that purposively sample excluded population groups. These standards should be audited and linked to incentive funds for good performers. Donors ought to give women opportunities to engage in off-farm and higher-value work and increase their business acumen.