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Overview

Access to Assets, Resources and Knowledge Lessons from India , Ethiopia and Ghana Regina Birner Chair of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development Global Conference on Women in Agriculture March 13-15, New Delhi. Overview.

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Overview

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  1. Access to Assets, Resources and KnowledgeLessons from India, Ethiopia and Ghana Regina BirnerChair of Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural DevelopmentGlobal Conference on Women in AgricultureMarch 13-15, New Delhi

  2. Overview http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTARD/Resources/gender_and_gov_in_rural_services.pdf • Lessons from a study on rural service provision in India, Ghana and Ethiopia • Key question • How to improve the provision of rural services to women? • Type of services • Agricultural extension • Rural water supply • Approach • Surveys of male and female household members, service providers and elected officials • in India with TISS & ISEC

  3. What are the key challenges? • Why do the poor receive poor services? And why do poor women in rural areas receive particularly poor services? • Triple challenge • Market failure– especially regarding knowledge services • No incentives for pPrivate service providers have no incen • Well-known economic reasons, such as public good nature • State failure: Services in rural areas difficult to supervise • Community failure: Elite capture and social exclusion • Fourth challenge: Perception bias: “Women don’t farm.”

  4. Routes of accountability and strategies to make services gender-sensitive Political Parties Local Political Representatives Long route Community-Based Organizations Household Members Short route Public Sector Service Providers NGO / Private service providers Services Source: World Bank and IFPRI (2010), based on World Bank (2004)

  5. Strategy: Quota for women in local councilsExample: India, Karnataka • Potential • Policy is enforced: Women have a “seat at the table” of political decision-making - Goal in its own right! • Not realized without quota (Ghana, Ethiopia) • Challenge • Female representation in Gram Panchayats does not necessarily result in better service provision outcomes. • Example: Public Works Program in Karnataka • Gram panchayat council members have to bargain for the resources to be spent in the village they represent • Villages represented by women from scheduled castes get significantly fewer resources • Policy implication: Increase women’s bargaining power!

  6. Strategy: Increase female frontline staffExample: Extension services Analysis shows: Female extension agents in Ghana more effective in reaching female farmers! ISEC / ISSER / EEPRI - IFPRISurveys

  7. …however, overall access of womento extension rather low (Ghana) (Percent respondents in contact with agent during the past year) Page 7 ISSER-IFPRI Survey, 2008

  8. Access to extension and livestock services in Karnataka (Percent households with contract during past year) Possible reason for higher access: Service provision by dairy cooperatives ISEC-IFPRI Survey, 2006

  9. Strategy: Community-based organizationsChallenge: Women in leadership positions Karnataka Page 9

  10. Lessons learnt • Different strategies to make service provision more gender-responsive • Need to find “Best Fit” for each country! • Increasing the participation of women in local councils • Goal in its own right – political voice! • Does not automatically translate into better service outcomes • Making public administration more gender-responsive • Increasing share of female frontline service providers can be very effective. • Often neglected; gap between rhetoric and reality • Example: Second Administrative Reform Commission • Promoting women in community-based organizations • Important route to accountability • Key is to ensure that women have voice!

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