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!