Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Tool 9 Design Services Based On Gender Analysis-1
Tool 9 Design Services Based On Gender Analysis-1
an Extension Program Tool 9: Gender Analysis in Extension
Core Competency Handbook for Extension Staff
Pump set Currency
Preface Furniture Radio
Fruit trees Vegetable plot
This handbook is designed as a reference manual for front‐line extension staff to use in their day‐
Bags of maize/wheat Chickens
to‐day work. It offers a set of tools for effective communication, program planning and
Trees Huts
evaluation. It is meant to support and educate agricultural extension workers worldwide. The
intended Donkeys Cell/telephone
audiences of this handbook include: governmental agriculture, fisheries, natural
resources and community development ministry officials; governmental and non‐governmental
Bicycle Jewelry
extension district/regional managers; extension‐related faculty and their students—preservice
Horse and cart Water pots
extension workers; and field‐level agents, whether governmental, non‐governmental or for‐
Land title Cow
profit. We hope that this handbook will help advance efforts to empower and continue educating
TV set Harvesting machine
extension personnel through in‐service training opportunities, continuing education
programming and “train‐the‐trainer” programs. Such efforts may include targeting specific tools
Participants are shown each of the above items and asked to assign ownership of each item to
of interest to audiences and inviting scholars/practitioners to teach participants about them.
either man, woman or both. The question asked is not who uses them but who owns them. The
Agricultural extension and advisory services are transitioning from a focus on technology transfer
list we arrive at should show the pattern of ownership and whether men or women differ in
to a focus on facilitating a range of interventions in complex contexts. No longer is extension first
ownership. The results will show whether women have equal power in the society.
and foremost a conduit of innovations coming from research and passing them on to farmers.
Today’s agricultural extension and advisory services are being challenged to serve as the
Forty‐three percent of the agricultural workforce is women, and it can go up to 70 percent in
connecting actor in complex agricultural innovation systems. The role of extension in agricultural
certain regions (SOFA team and Doss, 2011). They control 2 percent of resources and contribute
development is continuously evolving, and effective front‐line staff members need skill sets that
more than 50 percent of global agricultural produce. They invest income in food or nutrition,
may differ from those they learned in school. Extension professionals must have an
education of children and paying back debts, which together contribute to family welfare.
understanding of the communities they work in and have compassion for the people they serve.
Likewise, another approach to learning about gender roles is asking about who does the following
They should be well‐versed in adult education principles. Besides sound technical knowledge,
tasks. Who do they do it with?
they must possess adequate knowledge and skill in participatory tools and techniques for
They prepare the fields.
planning, implementation and evaluation of extension programs. Good communication skills are
critical in all aspects of their work. This handbook attempts to provide some tools and approaches
They plant crops.
that can help front‐line extension staff do their important work.
They transplant seedlings.
They weed fields.
Most of the process skills or tools in this handbook are grounded in communication, education,
They harvest and irrigate.
rural sociology and applied development science. These tools are valuable for the trainers of field
They select seeds.
extension workers. This handbook was created to help meet the need for a simple but
They process grains.
comprehensive guide for extension workers that focuses on process skills and competencies. Our
They prepare food.
goal was to create a concise yet complete, easy to read, user‐friendly explanation of some of the
skills that extension workers need to help farmers improve agricultural productivity and to help
They wash dishes and clothes.
create a sustainable and inclusive agriculture system through demand‐driven and participatory
They clean the houses.
approaches that have gained prominence in the past two decades.
They collect and carry water.
They gather firewood.
Please note that neither the length of each tool’s description nor its numeric order in this
They care for the elderly and the very
handbook is meant to convey the tool’s importance, complexity or usefulness. Not all tools are
© MEAS. Women do most of the farm and household
young.
equally useful in particular circumstances. Furthermore, some complex and powerful tools are
work.
They care for the animals.
easier to describe than others. We present a brief overview at the end of this handbook of some
of the ways for extension personnel to evaluate the potential usefulness and appropriateness of
And many more…
the tools. However, in the end, educated and well‐trained extension staff members will be
expected to use their best judgment on how best to proceed. We hope this handbook helps them
do so.
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Planning an Extension Program Tool 9: Gender Analysis in Extension
Core Competency Handbook for Extension Staff
Useful Advice
Preface
Women play a significant role in agricultural development, but their contribution is often
overlooked (Maunder, 1972). As an extension educator, you must understand women’s special
This handbook is designed as a reference manual for front‐line extension staff to use in their day‐
needs and constraints. The following may be helpful.
to‐day work. It offers a set of tools for effective communication, program planning and
In organizing a meeting, consider at what time of the day women would be able to attend
evaluation. It is meant to support and educate agricultural extension workers worldwide. The
intended it. They in all likelihood have regular times when they have to collect water, cook food,
audiences of this handbook include: governmental agriculture, fisheries, natural
and collect fodder and firewood. Considering their daily work and planning accordingly
resources and community development ministry officials; governmental and non‐governmental
can expand participation.
extension district/regional managers; extension‐related faculty and their students—preservice
extension workers; and field‐level agents, whether governmental, non‐governmental or for‐
Women may be shy and uncomfortable to speak in a public forum. Making groups of 10
profit. We hope that this handbook will help advance efforts to empower and continue educating
to 12 persons can smooth the process.
extension personnel through in‐service training opportunities, continuing education
Provide encouragement from the beginning and take a non‐judgmental position. Allow
programming and “train‐the‐trainer” programs. Such efforts may include targeting specific tools
plenty of time for women to speak ‐‐ women are often not used to articulating their
of interest to audiences and inviting scholars/practitioners to teach participants about them.
thoughts in public.
Agricultural extension and advisory services are transitioning from a focus on technology transfer
Make an all‐women group for group activities such as needs assessment and focus group
to a focus on facilitating a range of interventions in complex contexts. No longer is extension first
and foremost a conduit of innovations coming from research and passing them on to farmers.
discussions. Males tend to dominate the discussion in mixed groups.
Today’s agricultural
Avoid extension and
spatial separation: advisory
choose services
a location are all
where being challenged to serve
ethnic/tribe/religious as can
groups the
connecting actor in complex agricultural innovation systems. The role of extension in agricultural
attend the meeting.
development is continuously evolving, and effective front‐line staff members need skill sets that
may differ from those they learned in school. Extension professionals must have an
References
understanding of the communities they work in and have compassion for the people they serve.
They should be well‐versed in adult education principles. Besides sound technical knowledge,
Manfre, C., D. Rubin, A. Allen, G. Summerfield, K. Colverson and M. Akeredolu. (2013). Reducing
they must possess adequate knowledge and skill in participatory tools and techniques for
the gender gap in agricultural extension and advisory services: how to find the best fit for
planning, implementation and evaluation of extension programs. Good communication skills are
men and women farmers. MEAS brief 2. Urbana‐Champaign, Illinois, USA: MEAS project.
critical in all aspects of their work. This handbook attempts to provide some tools and approaches
that can help front‐line extension staff do their important work.
Maunder, A.H. (1972). Agricultural extension: A reference manual. ED 075 628. Rome, Italy: Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Most of the process skills or tools in this handbook are grounded in communication, education,
rural sociology and applied development science. These tools are valuable for the trainers of field
SOFA team and C. Doss. (2011). ESA working Paper No. 11‐02. Rome, Italy: Agricultural
extension workers. This handbook was created to help meet the need for a simple but
Development Economics Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
comprehensive guide for extension workers that focuses on process skills and competencies. Our
Nations. Accessed at: www.fao.org/docrep/013/am307e/am307e00.pdf
goal was to create a concise yet complete, easy to read, user‐friendly explanation of some of the
skills that extension workers need to help farmers improve agricultural productivity and to help
create a sustainable and inclusive agriculture system through demand‐driven and participatory
approaches that have gained prominence in the past two decades.
Please note that neither the length of each tool’s description nor its numeric order in this
handbook is meant to convey the tool’s importance, complexity or usefulness. Not all tools are
equally useful in particular circumstances. Furthermore, some complex and powerful tools are
easier to describe than others. We present a brief overview at the end of this handbook of some
of the ways for extension personnel to evaluate the potential usefulness and appropriateness of
the tools. However, in the end, educated and well‐trained extension staff members will be
expected to use their best judgment on how best to proceed. We hope this handbook helps them
do so.
70
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