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Preface


Preface

Although women play a major role in food production in many countries of the world, agricultural information is not effectively reaching and benefiting these key persons in the food security chain. There is a recognized need to improve agricultural extension work with rural women.

A significant problem is that in many courses of study, in-service training and education in extension methodology there is insufficient examination and discussion of the roles of rural men and women in agricultural production and rural development. Too little time allocated to gender analysis and a participatory approach aimed at solving the problem of how extension work can effectively be carried out with rural women.

This instructional unit is intended to help fill the gap in the lack of gender-sensitive materials available for pre-service and in-service training in extension methodology for extension and community development workers. The modules are designed so that they can be adapted and used at various levels and in a number of formal and non-formal educational settings: education at the intermediate (technical) and higher levels, induction training at the start of employment, in-service education or on-the-job training and short refresher courses and workshops.

These materials were developed by the Agricultural Extension, Education and Communication Service as a follow-up to the project, "Improving the Level of Agricultural Extension Service Support for Rural Women", which was financed jointly by FAO, Denmark, The Netherlands, Norway and the Arab Gulf Fund. The first phase of the activities consisted of carrying out five case studies in Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The second part of the original project was a workshop which brought together participants from the case study countries as well as representatives from the agencies which supported the project.

Workshop participants identified gender analysis, training and problem solving as weak links in extension staff understanding of the roles that women play in agricultural production, harvesting, processing, storage and marketing. Ensuring that men and women benefit equally from extension services was seen as a critical issue. It was further found that the methodology portion of the extension education curricula did not contain sufficient reference to improving extension work with women. Trainers cited a lack of instructional materials as a problem related to more effective teaching and learning.

This instructional package has been divided into three major parts. The Trainer's Guide, Course Design and Learners' Workbook have been prepared for use in a three-ring notebook so that teachers and group leaders will be able to insert location-specific materials and supplementary teaching aids. The pages are numbered only within each module to allow for more convenience in adding location-specific supplementary reference materials. A Learners' Workbook has been developed to make sure students and/or in-service trainees become involved in completing exercises related to real-life situations and so they will have a record of the work done. The unit on Course Design has been prepared in an effort to provide a theoretical framework and additional background information for both the teacher and the learner. It is also important to note that while these materials place an emphasis on improving extension work with rural women, they are, in general terms, a rather comprehensive set of instructional materials on extension methodology. These materials were developed with the intention that they could be used in a variety of settings where extension methodology is taught or discussed.

This is a near-final draft of the publication. The intent is to translate it into multiple languages for further field testing, eventual revision and additional printing. Readers and users are invited to send suggestions and comments to the coordinator using the following Internet address: [email protected] or by post to: T. E. Contado, Chief, Agricultural Education, Extension, Education and Communication Service; Research, Extension and Training Division; FAO; Viale delle Terme di Caracalla; 00100 Rome; Italy.

Stein W. Bie, Director

Research, Extension and Training Division

Sustainable Development Department

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