Policy Planning and Research.
· The Department of Women's Affairs must be strengthened and have representation in the Cabinet.
· Gender-disaggregated statistics are needed in all Ministries and NGOs.
· Women's productive work in agriculture and other "informal spheres" should be recognized in national statistics and policies.
· Research should be carried out on the impact of macro-economic and sectoral policies on women, power-relations and processes at the household level, informal coping strategies of rural women, and the role of women in natural resource use and management.
· Skills in strategic planning are needed to ensure that rural institutions clearly target and aim to serve rural women.
· Associations and pressure groups of rural women should be promoted.
Legal and Policy Reform
Discriminatory laws must be repealed/amended to ensure that women have equal access to credit and rights to land. For this, greater support should be given to the Women and Law Reform Committee
Access to Agricultural Resources and Services
· Agricultural services should be further decentralized to reach the needy, focus on simple low cost interventions, develop an appropriate technology base for women's agricultural and domestic tasks, target veterinary services to women, and involve women in research on improved crop varieties.
· Extension workers should receive training in participatory and gender-aware development approaches and undertake agricultural needs assessments of women farmers.
· The number of women extension workers should be increased. For this, working conditions must be conducive for women and agricultural colleges should implement affirmative action enrolment policies.
· Credit unions, NGOs and MAWRD should develop savings and loan schemes appropriate to the needs of rural women.
Women and Decision-making
· Affirmative Action legislation is expected to be passed by the end of 1994, to improve women's representation in decision-making positions.
· NGOS and community-based organizations should be lobbied to include more women in management and decision-making bodies.
Source: National Sectoral Report on Women, Agriculture and Rural Development, 1994.
Prepared by: Integration of Women in Development Service Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Viale delle Terme di Caracalla 00100 Rome, Italy Tel: +(39)6 52251 |
