Empowering women through research

TODAY, humanity is facing two major challenges: the increase in the world’s population, and the effects of climate change.
Rural women, especially, are adversely affected because women do most of the agricultural work as well as manage households, care for their families and provide fuel for cooking and water. 
The Agriculture and Food Organisation (AFO) states that rural women are the source of 80% of food produced in countries stricken by famine and malnutrition.
Women, relative to men, remain underrepresented in higher education and as scientists, researchers, extensionists and policymakers. 
They continue to face greater difficulties in accessing information, extension and advisory services and education, as well as in owning or acquiring land and technology. 
In Papua New Guinea, women farmers are at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts for access to micro credit, scientific knowledge and information, training, entrepreneurial skills, poor access to, and involvement with research that would lead to the development of relevant competencies to meet specific expressed needs, marketing, transport, post-harvest and downstream barriers to women and ineffective institutional linkage, especially with agricultural agencies. 
Most women struggle through their day using traditional technologies that are labour intensive and time consuming.
Improved technologies have mostly been adopted in relation to men’s tasks, often with negative consequences for women.
In addition, women farmers are affected by social issues and are marginalised because of lack of services (welfare, legal aid), are susceptible to being infected with HIV/AIDS and are illiterate.
Cultural norms and customary laws contribute further to the low status of women thus their low self esteem. Custom in PNG has tended to entrench gender inequality and discrimination against women”. (www.-oxfam.org/en/programs/
development/pacific/papua gender equality Bulletin No. 59, 2002, pages 47-55) “Women comprise 50% of the country’s population, but are underutilised.
“At present, women comprise some 30% of the work force, fewer than 40% of the combined gross enrolment ratio for primary, secondary and tertiary education, and 50.9% of literate adults.”
There are very few women in management, leadership, and decision-making roles in the workplace.
The gender-related development index (GDI) ranks PNG 124 out of 177 countries, with a GDI of 0.529 (UNDP 2008).
Greater participation of women must be encouraged at all levels of society (PNG Vision 2050, p35). 
In the face of these challenges, there is an urgent need for sustainable agricultural development to be translated into food and nutrition security. 
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to actively engage and empower (redressing power imbalances, giving autonomy) women through agricultural research. 
“Women’s empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realisation of human rights for all.” (http://www.unfpa.org/gender/empowerment.htm)
The Fresh Produce Development Agency’s Korofeigu study in 1997 confirmed men spent crop income on luxury items and activities such as alcohol and parties, etc, while women’s earnings were used for basic family well-being and welfare, education and health.
Empowering women in the agriculture sector needs a multi-pronged strategy and strategic partnerships between stakeholders in the public and private sector and agricultural research and development organisations. 
To ensure women’s full participation and progression from food production to food security, the following issues need to be tackled holistically:
*Finance or credit facilities –  Access to finance or credit facilities is a major issue.
This is compounded with illiteracy which is high in women in PNG.
To be able to be confident to seek finance and acquire the know-how, women need to be literate to manage and budget household income and encourage healthy lifestyles and good nutrition. 
Policies that promote entrepreneurship by women should be encouraged, at the same time simple language is used on the application forms for easy comprehension;
*Transport – Investment in transport and infrastructure is necessary to support women’s market engagement. 
Transportation on roads carries people more than food and that cash crops are often collected at the farm gate, whereas food crops are transported by women to local markets;
*Market access and information – There is lack of information on demand and supply, marketable crops and market trends.  Women farmers need to know what the market (domestic or international) wants to grow the crop that can grow well in their location.  Most often information is inaccessible, costly and too technical;
*Training and extension services  – Training and extension services are not focused on women.  Because of the multiple roles of women, training and extension programmes must be driven by women’s needs and is integrated to provide basic information, enhance business management skills as well as general information on accessing support services;
*Ineffective institutional linkage, especially with agricultural agencies – Rural farmers continue to grow traditional crops with low yield without the knowledge of improved crop varieties.
If they have heard about the crop varieties, they do not know where to access it. 
Additionally, cultural norms and customary practices, low self esteem and illiteracy prevent women from speaking out or seek redress, eg legal aid;
*Poor food security practices – Food security is built on three pillars: food availability, food access and food utilisation.  Food may be available but it may not be sufficient as population increases.
Understanding the country’s access to food from the global market also needs to be understood, its foreign exchange earnings and citizen’s consumer choices.
Food utilisation essentially translates food available into nutritional security.  Education and awareness into food preservation and value adding is critical;
*Appropriate technologies – The lack of appropriate technology for women impacts greatly on their food production and preservation.  Improved technologies have mostly been adopted in relation to men’s tasks, often with negative consequences for women.