Gender and Agricultural Extension Services in Ntcheu District of Malawi

cg.contributor.centerInternational Water Management Institute - IWMIen_US
cg.contributor.crpCGIAR Research Program on Dryland Systems - DSen_US
cg.contributor.funderNot Applicableen_US
cg.contributor.project-lead-instituteInternational Water Management Institute - IWMIen_US
cg.coverage.admin-unitNtcheuen_US
cg.coverage.countryMWen_US
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africaen_US
cg.subject.agrovocagricultureen_US
cg.subject.agrovocgenderen_US
cg.subject.agrovocservicesen_US
cg.subject.agrovocextensionen_US
dc.creatorTagutanazvo, Emelder M.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-02-15T12:37:41Z
dc.date.available2016-02-15T12:37:41Z
dc.description.abstractThere has been an observable shift of extension practices in developing countries across the globe; from micro level centered approach to group centered extension practices. This paper examines the influence of gender relations in extension service delivery and explores the possible opportunities and challenges faced in delivering and adopting agricultural initiatives with particular focus on Kaziputa irrigation scheme in Ntcheu district of Malawi where the need to intensify production through extension is high. Using qualitative approach, inclusive of key informant interviews, focus group discussions, observations and documentary evidence, this study examines the influence of gender on the relationship between extensionists and farmers towards improved production. Women have a higher level of involvement as scheme managers and also have significant representation in strategic positions as decision makers at different extension operations levels despite limited recognition as extension skills conveyers as a consequence of household and institutional gender disparity drivers. The presence of women as managers at these critical levels allows for gendered extension service source-target alignment along the extension service needs chain. However the levels of women’s involvement at scheme level as knowledge distribution points is limited despite their presence in the management platform and the effect of matrilineage leverage to resource control. This discrepancy is intensified by biased engagement of irrigators in farm product promotion techniques where the minority contact farmers who are mostly men are capacitated to drive the sustainability wheel. With the observed interdependence between gender, increased agricultural performance and extension; the paper therefore recommends that a further exploration on gender-technology specificity and agricultural performance nexus be done as a measure of its possible benefits to farmers.en_US
dc.formatDOCXen_US
dc.identifierhttps://mel.cgiar.org/reporting/downloadmelspace/hash/I4LJT3ZZ/v/e9bafc92e14eefe84db81275fd8c72f7en_US
dc.identifier.citationEmelder M. Tagutanazvo. (31/12/2015). Gender and Agricultural Extension Services in Ntcheu District of Malawi.en_US
dc.identifier.statusOpen accessen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11766/4448
dc.languageenen_US
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-4.0en_US
dc.subjectntcheu districten_US
dc.titleGender and Agricultural Extension Services in Ntcheu District of Malawien_US
dc.typeReporten_US
dcterms.available2015-12-31en_US

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