Asa Torkelsson* and Francis Onditi**
ABSTRACT
This article examines why, in most African countries, women farmers achieve lower productivity in agriculture than men. It contributes to this debate by interrogating whether or not addressing gender gaps in agricultural production significantly contributes to socio-economic well-being (resilience) of women as well as the gross domestic product (GDP). The Living Standards Measurement Studies-Integrated Survey for Agriculture projects was adopted to produce estimates for three countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda). The article draws from a research report and collaborative study by UN Women with UNEP and World Bank. The result shows that although female farmers individually manage slightly more than 25 per cent of all plots in Malawi and Uganda and about 20 per cent of all plots in Tanzania, Malawi shows the largest difference in mean productivity where women’s plots are, on average, 28 per cent less productive than men’s while Tanzania and Uganda reported 16 per cent and 13 per cent gender gaps, respectively. This result implies that the importance of other productive resources other than access to land may be key – for instance, the need to tackle constraints related to women’s access to “household male labour” and policies that help women farmers to access labour-saving technologies. Keywords: Land Access, Gender, Agricultural Productivity, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/jsdlp.v9i1.3
* PhD, Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
** PhD, Senior Lecturer & Head of Department, School of International Relations & Diplomacy, Riara University, Nairobi Kenya. He specializes in African Affairs in International Relations.
+ This article expresses the views of the authors and not the institutions to which they are affiliated. This article draws from a research report and collaborative study by UN Women Eastern and Southern African Office (ESARO) with UNEP and World Bank. The findings and policy options have been published in UN Women, UNEP and World Bank (2015), but this is the first specific focus on access to land and other factors of agricultural production. One of the authors of this article (Dr Asa Torkelsson) was part of the lead team of investigators on the original research report. We have collaborated very closely with UNDP-UNEPPEI and World Bank on this assignment. Authors of this article wish to express special acknowledgements to Moa Westman and David Smith of UNDP-UNEPPEI and Niklas Buehren and Markus Goldstein of the World Bank. We are also indebted to UN Women Country Representatives, Ms. Clara M. Anyangwe (Malawi), and Hodan Addou, Uganda/Tanzania for inputs.