Research on collective action by women

Presentation of results in Mali: Phase II

Aboubacar TRAORE, June 2011

Outline of this presentation

Context of Collective Action

Overview of the branches included in the study/Regions

and Districts/Communities

Key results

Detailed analysis

Discussion of main results

Recommendations for Phase III

Context of collective action in Mali8 regions: agriculture (41% GDP); services (42% GDP); industry (17% GDP)

• Agricultural Framework Law

• Fair access to land

• 10% of cultivated area to be assigned to women

• Code of land rights in modern and traditional law

• CA: Law on Cooperatives

• Before GIEF (external support)

• No improvement in Services

Overview of the branches included in the study/Regions

• Millet/ Sorghum

• Groundnuts

• Sesame

• Rice

• Shea butter

• Tiger nuts

Koulikoro• Pop. 2.4 million (growth rate 4%)

• Rainfall 500-1300 mm (20 – 51 inches)

• Exodus from the land is occurring

• Different socio-cultural status within the family and in the communities

Sikasso• 2.6 million (growth rate 3.6%)

• Rainfall 700-1500 mm (28 – 59 inches)

• Less young people leaving

• Men and women have different roles/power

• Good potential for agriculture/livestock

Gender in the production systems of the regions studied

• Important role of women in agricultural work: 70% of agricultural labour force, often unpaid

• Little control over resources: 3% of holdings managed by women; 54% of women with < 1 ha (17% of men)

• Unequal access for women to inputs, credit, fertiliser, advice/support

• Limited access for women to markets through lack of mobility, social attitudes, and small volumes

Key results (Tiger nuts Sikasso)

20% tiger nuts

80% tiger nuts

Local market

Producers 70% women and 30% men

Circle (district): Sikasso, KadioloCommunities: Farakala, Kapolondougou, Kofan, Kolokoba, lobougoula, Kaboïla ; Kaï, Loulouni, Natien, Missirikoro, Kapala, Sokourani Missirikoro, Central SikassoAC: mixed groups and women’s and men’s

Union: Jèkafo and Nipangatiè Supply and market research

Malian exportersArouna KonatéOusmane Sow

Collectors/IntermediariesSemi-wholesalers and wholesalers

Sub-regional market (Senegal, Liberia, Guinea, Central African Republic, Ghana, Burkina Faso)National and local markets

Local marketProcessing (exclusively by women)

Structure of the branch at the local level (unions)

- Technical and financial support by the partners- Emerging branch

-Source of income for women- Existence of export market

Factors which encourage collective action by womenFactors which encourage collective action by women

Factors which discourage collective action by womenFactors which discourage collective action by women

Low access to means of production (land, equipment)

Low level of processing at local level

Key results (Groundnuts, Koulikoro)

Primary ProducersPrimary Producers

Intermediaries

Buyers

Local market

Intermediaries

Buyers

Local market

TradersTraders

Domestic and sub-regional consumersDomestic and sub-regional consumers

Co-operatives/ Women’s Associa-tionsKolokani circles

Co-operatives/ Women’s Associa-tionsKolokani circles

Women engaged in value-adding processing

Factors which encourage collective action by womenFactors which encourage collective action by women

Local marketConsumers at the local level

Factors which discourage women’s collective actionFactors which discourage women’s collective action

Lack of support structures for this type of production

Women are assigned infertile land

No access to agricultural equipment when needed

No organised market exists Lack of access to

fast-growing (3 months) and high yield seeds

Weak ability to control prices to intermediaries/ buyers

Existence of women’s groups offering rotating

credit and/or savings and loans

Groundnuts: a basic food

Support for setting up savings and credit groups from the CAEB NGO in Kolokani Circle

Women’s network

Links between organisations: Rice, Sikasso

Teriya de Niena Cooperative

ACOD Nyeta so

CRA

Agricultural sector

COFRN

Téguéréni group

Female producers:Courageous and dedicated women

TrainingWorking capital, equipment

Supply of inputs, Marketing

Membership feeOperational support

Advice support

Training /

Information

Information exchange

Membership fee

Savings /Loans

Constraints

Type of constraint Tiger nuts

Rice Shea butter

Sesame Millet/sorghum

Ground-nuts

Limited access to means of production X X X X X

Late payment of cash after sales X X

Lack of working capital X X

Lack of equipment for processing and difficulties of storage

X X

Merchants charge high prices for fertiliser X X

Low crop yields X

Lack of means and high cost of transport X X

Weak negotiating power of women vis-à-vis intermediaries/traders

X X X

Illiteracy among women X X

Drop in price at harvest time X X

Benefits

Type of benefits/ Branch of production

Groundnuts

Millet/Sorghum

Sesame Shea butter

Tiger nuts

Rice

Access to property ownership XX

Access to inputs XXX XXX XXX XXX

Access to equipment for production XXX

Access to processing equipment XXX XXX

Access to the market XXX XXX XXX XXX XX

Savings/loans (by deposit and by rotation)

XXX XXX X XXX X

Increase in incomes (joint sales at profitable price)

X XX XXX XXX XXX XX

Improvement in social status XX XX XX XX XX XX

Social cohesion XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX

Strengthening of skills X X XXX XXX XX XX

Investment (personal wealth) XX XX XX XX XX XX

Detailed analysis

Discussion of the main results

Rice Shea butter Tiger nuts Groundnuts Millet/ Sorghum

Sesame

Types of collective action

Mixed and women’s; formal and informal; non specialised; affiliated and not

Mixed and women’s; specialised; affiliated and not

Mixed, men’s and women’s; specialised; affiliated

Non specialised; CAs mixed and women’s; formal and informal.

Formal mixed and women’s affiliated to the unions; formal and informal non-affiliated.

Predominance of mixed and women’s CAs specialised affiliated to the unions; some CAs not affiliated.

Women’s roles

Predominant in mixed CAs; men in the secretariat in women’s CAs

Strong representation in mixed CAs; men in the secretariat in women’s CAs.

Weak representation in mixed CAs.

Not very active in mixed CAs; replacement ofmen by women in some women’s CAs.

Not very active in mixed CAs; preference for women’s CAs (men in the secretariat)

Not very active in mixed CAs (Banamba); men in the secretariat in women’s CAs.

Production Individual or collective; income-generating activities

Individual or collective.

Internal savings/loan system; some CAs have external supported for specific purposes.

PAM market Individual or collective; DERK/SNV support for affiliated women’s CAs

Key findings

• CAs are present in all the value chains of the different types of production: more marked in the more structured branches like sesame, tiger nuts and shea butter.

• There is a predominance of women in certain products (shea butter) and certain value-add activities (processing ).

• A strong preference is expressed in some communes for women-only groups.

• There are constraints which prevent speeding up the creation of women’s CAs to enable access to markets, e.g. social pressures, the low literacy rate among women, the lack of equipment and of appropriate infrastructure.

• Changing trends: the positive effects of some successful women’s collective actions help to break down some taboos. 

Recommendations for phase III

• In Sikasso, Oxfam GB’ s choice.

• In Koulikoro, sesame as the most appropriate product to produce.

• At the national workshop, validated analysis tools to apply to other types of production.

• In all cases the future criteria for choosing between different types of production must include the predominance of women (individually or collectively) and whether the collective actions are sustainable.

Thank you for your attention