1. VICTORIA ANIAKU WIAD/MOFA
Women’s Access to Extension Services: Gender gaps in agricultural sector of Ghana
VICTORIA ANIAKU
WIAD/MOFA

2. Introduction
MoFA acknowledges that there are gender gaps in the agricultural sector
As such created Enabling Environments to address these gaps.
Through its Policies and Strategies:
FASDEP II & METASIP provide guidance for addressing the gaps with enhanced equitable opportunities and resources for men, women, PLWDs, Persons Living With HIV AIDS (PLWHA) and the youth
Policies of MoFA Technical Directorates
The Gender and Agricultural Development Strategy II (GADS II)
The GIDA Policy
MoFA Projects and Programmes (GCAP, WAAPP, GHASIP)
They all consider gender integration and women empowerment as key strategies to close the gender gaps in the sector

3. Highlights of Gender Gaps in the Agricultural sector
A gender situation analysis of the sector was conducted in 2014 and revealed the following gender gaps:
Access to Credit and Financial Services - Female farmers were less likely to access credit.
Access to Extension Services Delivery - Female farmers were less likely to access extension services along the agricultural value chain.
Frequency of access to extension services among male and female farmers was 34.4% and 9.5% respectively.

4. Highlights of Gender Gaps in the Agricultural sector -2
Access to New Technologies in Agriculture - Approximately 33% of males as opposed to 12% of females had access to new technologies. However, under agro-processing technologies, women dominated.
Access to and control over land - Land ownership and tenure security among female farmers was a challenge. The main challenges in having access to land were related to the processes and the cost; especially for settlers.
Agricultural Engineering Services - Most machinery and equipment were not women-friendly, more costly and trainings were more male targeted
Harnessing the Potential of the Vulnerable in Agriculture - PLWDs were found to be the most under-utilized group of persons in the agricultural sector.

5. Highlights of Gender Gaps in the Agricultural sector -3
A gender needs assessment by the GIDA led WLE project “Giving ‘latecomers’ a head start: Reorienting irrigation investments in the White Volta Basin to improve ecosystems and the livelihoods of women and youth” revealed similar gender gaps.
Gaps on differential access to land, access and use of organic manure/inorganic fertilizer, access to extension services, women’s low participation in leadership roles and heavy workload on women among others were revealed and skewed to women.
However, women and youth play key roles as men in irrigated agriculture.

6. Highlights of Gender Gaps in the Agricultural sector -4
In addition to the above, these women related constraints were also revealed:
Poor access to land –small land areas at irrigated sites which has to be distributed to many farmers.
Cultural orientation in favour of men.
Lack of access to farm credit
Irrigation farming is capital intensive and women do not have adequate capital to engage into it
High cost of inputs and untimely delivery

7. Highlights of Gender Gaps in the Agricultural sector -5
Poor access to technology – few AEAs, most of whom are men and mostly do not visit the women
Poor access to implements for land preparation by women
Poor access to labour mostly by women
Labour intensiveness of irrigation activities
High post-harvest losses of high value crops (vegetables)
Inadequate women friendly irrigation technologies
Heavy workload on women (production, reproduction and care-giving)
Women not wanting to take leadership roles in irrigation activities

8. Women’s Access to Extension Services
Even though women are considered latecomers in irrigated agricultural they play important roles along the irrigated agricultural value chain.
They are into land preparation, nursing, transplanting, weeding, watering, harvesting and other cultural practices.
They dominate marketing of irrigated produce (vegetables)
Women’s access to extension service would help improve upon the roles and services they render along the irrigated agricultural value chain
Production, marketing and processing of high value crops require information on improved technology through extension delivery.
There is the need for special targeting to meet needs of women in irrigation especially on their distinct roles e.g marketing of irrigated produce

9. Barriers to Accessing Extension Services
Four main barriers to accessing agricultural extension services by women were identified in a gender baseline study as:
a) proximity to extension agents;
b) personal perception of the players that they do not need such services at all;
c) lack of knowledge on the existence of such services; and
d) inability of people to find service officers, (USAID/FtF- MOFA -2014)
Limited numbers of female Extension Officers; Only 13% of AEAs were females.
AEA to farmer ratio was 1:1,500 instead of the recommended 1:500 (MoFA, 2013, APR).

10. Benefits of Women’s Access to Extension Services
Agricultural extension provides information, training and advice in agricultural production
It helps tackle the hurdles that women face in agricultural production
Extension services provide a means for women to learn new or improved techniques along the agricultural value chain,
The training received help women to organise themselves and improve their access to inputs and markets.
This empowerment in turn translates into both higher income and improved income stability for women,
It promotes and increases overall food security and nutrition.
A gender-sensitive approach to agricultural EAS contributes to promoting gender equality as a component or a facilitating variable for food security and poverty alleviation

11. Recommendations to Address the Gender Gaps in Extension Service Delivery
Recruitment and replacement of staff should consider more female extension officers to bridge the male – female extension ratio gap for increased technology adoption along the value chain by women;
Adapt and sustain the use of Women Extension Volunteers (WEV) to bridge the gender gaps in extension service delivery.
Promotion of at least a quota of 40% in the provision of agricultural extension services to meet the needs of women in the sector along the value chain

12. The Sector’s Strategy to Improve Extension Delivery to Farmers
Capacity development
RELCs (Research Extension Linkage Committees) activities
Audio-visual vans (improve learning)
Gender mainstreaming. Three of GADS II Strategic objectives talks of extension and technology delivery: (2. Enhancing equitable delivery of agricultural services; 4. Developing and disseminating gender-sensitive appropriate technologies along the Agriculture Value Chain; 6. Promoting gender-sensitive research, and extension linkages;)
e-Extension
WEV program
FBO development

13. Thank you for the Attention