Gender Roles in Agriculture: The Case of Afghanistan

Srinivas Tavva, Malika Abdelali-Martini, Aden Aw-Hassan, Barbara Rischkowsky, Markos Tibbo and Javed Rizvi
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Srinivas Tavva: Srinivas Tavva is Visiting Agricultural Economist, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Afghanistan Research Programme, P.O. 1355, Kabul, Afghanistan, and Senior Scientist, Agricultural Economics, Section of Social Sciences, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram 695 017, Kerala, India. E-mail: srinictcri@yahoo.com, s.tavva@cgiar.org
Malika Abdelali-Martini: Malika Abdelali-Martini is Socio-economist, Community & Gender Analysis Specialist, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Social, Economic and Policy Research (SEPR) Programme, P.O. 5466, Aleppo, Syria. E-mail: m.martini@cgiar.org
Aden Aw-Hassan: Aden Aw-Hassan, Programme Director, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Social, Economic and Policy Research (SEPR) Programme, P.O. 5466, Aleppo, Syria. E-mail: a.aw-hassan@cgiar.org
Barbara Rischkowsky: Barbara Rischkowsky is Senior Livestock Scientist, International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Diversification & Sustainable Intensification of Production Systems (DSIPS) Programme, P.O. 5466, Aleppo, Syria. E-mail: B.Rischkowsky@cgiar.org
Markos Tibbo: Markos Tibbo is Livestock Officer/O-i-C Animal Production and Health Officer, RNE Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations Regional Office for the Near East, 11 Al Eslah El Zerai St., Dokki, P.O. 2223, Cairo, Egypt. E-mail: markos.tibbo@fao.org

Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 2013, vol. 20, issue 1, 111-134

Abstract: Technological interventions aiming to improve livelihoods that bring gender equity can become successful only when the prevailing gender roles in society and access to different livelihood opportunities are fully understood. This article analyses gender roles in agriculture in the conservative patriarchal society of Afghanistan. Rapid appraisal was conducted through focus group interviews, participatory resource mapping, and so on, in seven villages each from Nangarhar and Baghlan provinces of Afghanistan. Educated women coordinators, facilitators and activists and well established womens’ groups were used to reach and target key women informants as they are not allowed to interact directly with male researchers. Their participation was more in livestock related activities. The study indicated that women’s involvement was less than men’s in both livestock and crop related activities. Age, social stigmas, poverty and shortage of labour influence the gender division of labour, decision-making ability and participation in Afghanistan’s farm and non-farm activities. This indicates that any agricultural development programme intending to involve women will be effective only if it has a large component of livestock related activities.

Keywords: Agriculture; livestock; labour; decision-making; Afghanistan; Muslim women; Afghan women (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:indgen:v:20:y:2013:i:1:p:111-134

DOI: 10.1177/0971521512465939

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