Gendered agricultural development through climatesmart agriculture : analysis of its effects on Ethiopian women smallholders
Abstract
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) could provide opportunities for farmers to increase production and income by developing their resilience to climate change impacts. Successful adoption of CSA necessitates addressing socio-cultural, economic, political and technological and climate-related constraints. This thesis is a synthesis of four research papers which examine the effects of CSA on women smallholders in southern and south-central Ethiopia. A concurrent mixed method design that uses 543 participants was applied to examine the gendered constraints that limit women’s uptake of CSA technologies and whether the use of CSA improves unequal gendered production relations and women’s livelihoods. This thesis further investigates the degree to which gender-mainstreaming narratives of agricultural policies in Ethiopia have been implemented. Qualitative and quantitative data collections were employed using survey, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and document analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson’s chisquare test and binary logistic regression. Thematic and narrative analysis methods were used to analyze qualitative data. The four separate but interrelated papers in this thesis conceptualized problems using the contested agronomy framework, postmodern, third world and standpoint feminist theories, the sustainable livelihoods framework and the gender and development approach. Klimasmart jordbruk (CSA) tilpasser landbruket til klimaendringer, og kan derved øke bøndenes produksjon og inntekt. Vellykket oppskalering avhenger imidlertid av at sosiokulturelle, økonomiske, politiske og teknologiske begrensninger blir adressert.
Denne avhandlingen er en syntese av fire forskningsartikler som undersøker effekten av klimasmart jordbruk for kvinnelige småbrukere i sørlige deler av Etiopia. Studien benytter kombinerte metoder (mixed method design) med til sammen 543 deltakere for å undersøke kjønnsrelaterte begrensninger som hindrer kvinnelige småbrukeres opptak av klimasmart teknologi. Studien undersøker også hvorvidt klimasmart jordbruk øker ulikheter mellom kjønn i produksjonen, generelt mellom menn og kvinners levekår og undersøker videre i hvilke grad kjønnsrelaterte problemstillinger er inkludert og gjennomført i Etiopisk politikk.