14 research outputs found
What Does Gender Yield Gap Tell Us about Smallholder Farming in Developing Countries?
This study examines the extent of the productivity gap between male and female bean
producers, its discriminatory nature and implications for the policymakers in agriculture in Tanzania.
Generally, women are distinctively “invisible” in agriculture, due to social norms and even from the
national agricultural policy perspective. Their discrimination arises from uncounted and unaccounted
for farm work, and their productivity is reduced by triple roles, limited access to education, having
triple effects on access to technology, training and land rights. In research, issues of concern to them
such as nutritious food crops, varietal selection on important attributes, household food security,
convenient home storage and small-scale processing are widely ignored through unfavourable
policy design. Given the above discriminatory issues surrounding women in agriculture, they are
hypothesised to be less productive and often lag behind male counterparts in crop production.
To test the above hypothesis, a three-stage stratified sampling method was used to collect crosssectional
data in 2016 across four regions of Tanzania. Then, an Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition
method (at means) was used to apportion the sources of the difference between men and women
into explained and unexplained variations. Further improvements through the newly developed
Re-Centered Influence Functions (RIFs) remarkably improved outcomes as the differences were
analysed through unconditional partial effects on quantiles. Using a counterfactual approach and
correcting for selection bias, the model provided consistent estimates for easy comparison of the two
groups. Besides this, it emerged that interventions such as providing improved bean seed varieties
and training farmers on good agricultural practices reduced the gender yield gap and provided
a potential avenue for addressing the discrimination observed in productivity among males and
females. Controlling for selection bias also improved the model, but the real discrimination was
observed at the 50th percentile, where the majority of the respondents lay within. However, if a
female’s age, family size, additional years of schooling and discretion to spend income from beans
were taken away, they would be worse off. Our study finds that females comprised 25 percent
of the sample, had 6 percent lower productivity, provided 64.70 percent on-farm labour and had
0.32 hectares less land compared to males, ceteris paribus. Access to improved varieties contributed to a
35.4 percent improved productivity compared to growing indigenous/local varieties. The implication
is that the gender yield gap can be reduced significantly if efforts are focused on preventing or
correcting factors causing discrimination against women
CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa and CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop
A stakeholder consultation workshop was conducted by the CGIAR Initiatives on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) and Gender Equality on 31 January 2023 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop aimed to identify and address barriers that limit participation of women and youth and how these are addressed in an ongoing "Veggies for People and Planet" program at the World Vegetable Center. The workshop also sought to investigate existing opportunities and recommend possible integrated solutions for more equitable and inclusive value chain development
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Mapping lymphatic filariasis in Loa loa endemic health districts naĂŻve for ivermectin mass administration and situated in the forested zone of Cameroon
Background
The control of lymphatic filariasis (LF) caused by Wuchereria bancrofti in the Central African Region has been hampered by the presence of Loa loa due to severe adverse events that arise in the treatment with ivermectin. The immunochromatographic test (ICT) cards used for mapping LF demonstrated cross-reactivity with L. loa and posed the problem of delineating the LF map. To verify LF endemicity in forest areas of Cameroon where mass drug administration (MDA) has not been ongoing, we used the recently developed strategy that combined serology, microscopy and molecular techniques.
Methods
This study was carried out in 124 communities in 31 health districts (HDs) where L. loa is present. At least 125 persons per site were screened. Diurnal blood samples were investigated for circulating filarial antigen (CFA) by FTS and for L. loa microfilariae (mf) using TBF. FTS positive individuals were further subjected to night blood collection for detecting W. bancrofti. qPCR was used to detect DNA of the parasites.
Results
Overall, 14,446 individuals took part in this study, 233 participants tested positive with FTS in 29 HDs, with positivity rates ranging from 0.0% to 8.2%. No W. bancrofti mf was found in the night blood of any individuals but L. loa mf were found in both day and night blood of participants who were FTS positive. Also, qPCR revealed that no W. bancrofti but L.loa DNA was found with dry bloodspot. Positive FTS results were strongly associated with high L. loa mf load. Similarly, a strong positive association was observed between FTS positivity and L loa prevalence.
Conclusions
Using a combination of parasitological and molecular tools, we were unable to find evidence of W. bancrofti presence in the 31 HDs, but L. loa instead. Therefore, LF is not endemic and LF MDA is not required in these districts
CGIAR Initiative on Diversification in East and Southern Africa and CGIAR Initiative on Gender Equality: Stakeholder Consultation Workshop. Proceedings of the Stakeholder Consultation Workshop, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 31 January 2023
A stakeholder consultation workshop was conducted by the CGIAR Initiatives on Diversification in East and Southern Africa (Ukama Ustawi) and Gender Equality on 31 January 2023 at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop aimed to identify and address barriers that limit participation of women and youth and how these are addressed in an ongoing "Veggies for People and Planet" program at the World Vegetable Center. The workshop also sought to investigate existing opportunities and recommend possible integrated solutions for more equitable and inclusive value chain development