Community Awareness on Changing Gender Roles in Seed Yam Production Implications for Food Security_ Example of the Community Action for Improving Farmer Saved Seeds (CAY-Seed) Project

Joyce Haleegoah

doi:https://doi.org/10.63942/brjssh.v4.i1.p21.2821

Community Awareness on Changing Gender Roles in Seed Yam Production Implications for Food Security_ Example of the Community Action for Improving Farmer Saved Seeds (CAY-Seed) Project

Joyce Haleegoah

Listen to the introduction

Abstract

Yam production in West Africa is male dominated, despite the different roles played by various genders in its production. This male dominance creates gender gaps in terms of access to and control over yam production resources especially where agricultural interventions are not gender responsive. However, gender is dynamic and gender roles change for sustained yam productivity. A mixed method approach with the use of gender sensitisation workshops and a questionnaire survey was used to examine the changing gender roles and social dynamics in seed yam production. The results revealed that gender roles in seed yam production had changed and farmers of different genders were aware. The awareness of changes was because of the training and sensitisation interventions of the CAY-Seed project and the changes were partly as a result of the project’s interventions and the availability of already existing technologies that enabled men, women and youth to perform relevant roles. Seed cutting and planting, which were formally dominated by men were currently performed by women and the youth. Some males allocated some portions of their fields to their spouses for seed yam production. Women and youth had a stake in the decision-making processes in yam production, had control and took decision on their own yam production activities. Men accepted the need to empower women and youth in seed yam production to complement their efforts in providing for the household. These dynamics confirmed that gender roles were not fixed but have changed with time. It also depicted the importance of gender responsiveness in the development and implementation of agricultural development projects for enhanced productivity and food security.

changing gender roles gender gender responsiveness seed yam.

Read Article Download PDF

Readers can now gain more insights about this research manuscript using chat. Powered by Scholar Lens AI.

MCP BRJ now support Model Context Protocol

Or import this page into a chat

ChatGPT

Claude

Gemini

Research ID

Universal Unique Research ID

Citation Generator

Cite This Research Manuscript

Haleegoah, J. (2024-05-15). Community Awareness on Changing Gender Roles in Seed Yam Production Implications for Food Security_ Example of the Community Action for Improving Farmer Saved Seeds (CAY-Seed) Project. Boston Research Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 4(1), 21-39.

Figures

Figure-1_Map-showing-the-Two-Municipals-of-the-Study-Location.png

References

Afari, E. (2001). *The effect of farmer’s education on farm productivity and incomes in Ghana: Implication for food security* [Master of Philosophy thesis, University of Ghana]. Aidoo, R., Nimoh, F., Bakang, J. A., Ohene-yankyera, K., Fialor, S. C., & Abaidoo, R. C. (2011). Economics of small-scale seed yam production implication for commercialization. *Journal of Sustainable Development in Africa*, *13*(7), 65–78. Anaadumba, P. (2013). *Analysis of incentives and disincentives for yam in Ghana* (Technical notes series). Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agricultural Policies (MAFAP), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Badstue, L., Elias, M., Kommerell, V., Petesch, P., Prain, G., Pyburn, R., & Umantseva, A. (2020). Making room for maneuver: Addressing gender norms to strengthen the enabling environment for agricultural innovation. *Development in Practice*, *30*(4), 541–547. [https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2020.1757624](https://doi.org/10.1080/09614524.2020.1757624) Blackstone, A. (2003). Gender roles and society. In J. R. Miller, R. M. Lerner, & L. B. Schiamberg (Eds.), *Human ecology: An encyclopedia of children, families, communities, and environments* (pp. 335–338). ABC-CLIO. Carr, E. R. (2008). Men’s crops and women’s crops: The importance of gender to understanding the agricultural development outcomes in Ghana’s Central Region. *World Development*, *36*(5), 900–915. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2007.05.009](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2007.05.009) Dapaah, P. K. (2014). *Assessment of postharvest losses of yam production in Krachi East District of the Volta Region of Ghana* [Thesis, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology]. Doss, C. (2001). Designing agricultural technology for African women farmers: Lessons from 25 years of experience. *World Development*, *29*(12), 2075–2092. [https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X(01)00088-2](https://doi.org/10.1016/S0305-750X\(01\)00088-2) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2003). *Trade reforms and food security: Conceptualizing the linkages*. Fraanje, W., & Lee-Gammage, S. (2018). *What is food security?* (Foodsource: building blocks). Food Climate Research Network, University of Oxford. Ghana Statistical Service. (2000). *Ghana living standards survey: Report of the fourth round (GLSS 4)*. Haleegoah, J., Nsiah Frimpong, B., Brobbey, L., Ennin, S., & Acheampong, P. (2016, July). *CAY seed communities gender sensitization workshop, Ghana report*. Johnson, N. L., Kovarik, C., Meinzen-Dick, R., Njuki, J., & Quisumbing, A. (2016). Gender, assets, and agricultural development: Lessons from eight projects. *World Development*, *83*, 295–311. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.01.009](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.01.009) Lambrecht, I., Schuster, M., Asare, S., & Pelleriaux, L. (2017). *Changing gender roles in agriculture? Evidence from 20 years of data in Ghana* (IFPRI Discussion Paper 01623). International Food Policy Research Institute. Mishra, A. K., Khanal, A. R., & Mohanty, S. (2017). Gender differentials in farming efficiency and profits: The case of rice production in the Philippines. *Land Use Policy*, *63*, 461–469. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.02.012](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.02.012) Obidiegwu, J. E., & Akpabio, E. M. (2017). The geography of yam cultivation in Southern Nigeria: Exploring its social meanings and cultural functions. *GeoJournal*, *82*(1), 183–197. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-015-9686-2](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-015-9686-2) Tibesigwa, B., & Visser, M. (2016). Assessing gender inequality in food security among small-holder farm households in urban and rural South Africa. *World Development*, *88*, 48–61. [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.07.008](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2016.07.008) Zakaria, H., Salifu, W. Y., Abujaja, A. M., & Adam, H. (2014). Socio-economic analysis of smallholder yam production in North Eastern corridors of Northern Ghana: Does type of planting materials used make any difference? *International Journal of Agriculture Innovations and Research*, *3*(4), 1279–1285.

Copyright

© 2024 Haleegoah. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Joyce Haleegoah

Disclaimer

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.