Access to Assets, Resources and Knowledge

Lessons from India, Ethiopia and Ghana

Regina BirnerChair of Social and Institutional Change

in Agricultural Development

Global Conference on Women in AgricultureMarch 13-15, New Delhi

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

Overview

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.”

Community-Based Organizations

Household Members

Public SectorService Providers

NGO / Privateservice providers

Services

Short route

Local Political Representatives

Long route

Political Parties

Source: World Bank and IFPRI (2010), based on World Bank (2004)

Routes of accountability and strategies to make services gender-sensitive

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!

Strategy: Increase female frontline staffExample: Extension services

100

8591

0

159

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

India Ghana Ethiopia

Male staff

Female staff

ISEC / ISSER / EEPRI - IFPRISurveys

Analysis shows:Female extensionagents in Ghana more effective in reaching female farmers!

…however, overall access of womento extension rather low (Ghana)

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Forest Zone Transition Zone Savannah Zone-2%

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

14%

16%

11.7% 12.3%10.9%

0.0%

2.1%

0.0%

1.8% 1.4%0.5%

Male-Headed Households Female-Headed HouseholdsFemale Spouses

(Percent respondents in contact with agent during the past year)

ISSER-IFPRI Survey, 2008

Access to extension and livestock services in Karnataka

ISEC-IFPRI Survey, 2006

(Percent households with contract during past year)

Possible reason for higher access:Service provision by dairy cooperatives

Strategy: Community-based organizationsChallenge: Women in leadership positions

0102030405060708090

100

011 10

100

0 3 6

100

5 4

30

16Female chairpersonFemale secretarySC/ST Chairperson

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Karnataka

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!