Researching Women’s Collective Action Phase2 Findings from Amhara Region Ethiopia

Presentation for PTM Bamako Aril 2011

Zewdi Abadi

Food for Thought: Ethiopia is the fastest growing economy in the world after China and India

. Women are the main producers in the agricultural sector; how are smallholders organizing to access the market? Will the current growth benefit women small holder? Will they be able to control what used to be a typically women susbsector or will they lose it to men or big enterprises? Will technology/labor saving devises in a specific subsector (Irrigation) benefit women or steal what used to be their subsector? How are women organizing themselves to reach the market and be part of the growing economy? What are the gaps?

Amhara region population estimated for 2010/11 to be 18.19 million. Males 50.16% Females 49.84% Gross population density 114 persons/km2 West Gojjam is relatively densely populated which has an implication in terms of man land ratio. Age structure estimated for 2010 more than 42.6 % age range of 0-14 years. while 3.9 percent of the region’s population is too old being in age range of 65 years and above. Settlement pattern: nearly 88.6 per cent of the population, resides in rural areas and is engaged mainly in agricultural activities

Gender Issue

• Amhara region has the the highest cases of Early Marriage (Harmful Practice) in comparison with other regions

• Low literacy level

• Access

Infrastructure

24.3 % of households travel more than three hours on foot to reach the nearest market.

Transport in rural areas usually off-road non-motorized and predominantly by head carrying including women and children of loads of up to 30 kg. Travel is time-consuming especially accessing markets and services. Lack of village level infrastructure and lack of affordable transport services means that harvest and other commodities loose their value in the market if transport is not provided and farmers are exposed to exploitation by traders and middlemen. (ANRS, 2004)

Policy environment vis a vis Collective Action

• The Cooperative proclamation No 147/1998 enables to establish democratically and voluntarily managed market oriented cooperatives The establishment of an institution which promotes cooperatives (e.g. cooperatives commission and CPB) The attention of the Federal Government in its Rural Development Policy, Strategy document, emphasized the role of cooperatives in developing agricultural marketing system in Ethiopia. The Cooperatives Promotion Bureau’s (CPB) roleSME….The BPR, change process…..Does it work for women??

There are 17 types of legally registered CAs in Amhara region; 10 are agriculture related and 7 are other types of CAs. Among the Agriculture related 70% are Multipurpose (1453 coop), the highest number of coops and capital (1.3 Bill) followed by Irrigation (302 coops) and (18 Mill). In Total there are 4,603 cooperatives in Amhara region, with a total of 1.43 million members, of which 13% (187,547) are women. 84% of S&C are located in the urban areaSee: Amhara Region registered Coop. 2010

Formal CAs

•Access to land •Access to services: Married women versus FHH

Access

Methodology

• Selection of Communities• FGD 1

Selection of Community

Distance /Diversity/

List all CAs in the area• FGD 2

Selection of 12 to 18 participants (challenges)

Individuals not in CAs

Women from the SSector CA and other Informal CAs (Overlap)

Stakeholders

Honey

OXFAM WEL

Primary Coop.

Zenbaba Union (9 Cooperatives)

Milk

Milk Primary Cooperatives

Land O’ Lakes (USAID)

BoARD Staff at Wereda and Kebele level

Source: Inventory of CA

Other: Key informants (BoARD, WEA, ANRA, CDB, Union, NGOs)

The selected Subsectors in Amhara Region (Honey and Milk) also feature in the legally registered CAs and Milk has a very high number of Coops (110) with 5.2 mill Birr capital. Honey (40 Coops) with 4.2 mill Birr Capital See Revised Milk and Honey Value chain map

Gendered Value Chain

Table 2. Constraints to acting in markets

Sub-sector

Constraints to acting in markets

Individual

woman

Mixed group

Women-only group

HoneySummary

1. Get a low price x

Gender issues and inequality x x

3. Lack of information on prices and markets

x

5. Low bargaining power (of farmers)

x

6. Family responsibilities of women (lack of free time)

x x x

7. Restrictions placed by husband

x x x

8. Pesticide spayed during the day

x x x

9. Modern beehive management x x x

Table 2. Constraints to acting in markets

Sub-sector

Constraints to acting in markets Individual

woman

Mixed group

Women-only group

Milk 1. Get a low price during fasting season

x x x

2. Transportation problems/expensive/ unreliable

3. Lack of a reliable and responsible recipient in Bahirdar

x x x

4. Lack of improved crossbred x X x

4. Lack of information and market intelligence

x

5. Security/thieves x x x

Women are further disadvantaged in terms of training, and leadership in mixed coops.

x

5. Low bargaining power x

6. Family responsibilities of women (lack of free time)

x

7. Restrictions placed by husband control over the income

x

8. Pesticide spayed during the day x x x

9. Modern beehive management x x x

Benefits for women of being members of a CA group

SebatAtmit Table 2: Benefit Matrix

BenefitsTotal Kernels

Share in %

Increased income 56 40%

Reduced cost and time (due to short distance)

3525%

Access to stable market 30 21%

Training 10 7%

Getting forage seed for cow feed

96%

Total 140 100%

Andassa Table 2: Benefit Matrix

BenefitsTotal Kernels

Share in %

Training 30 23%

Access to stable market 27 21%

Reduced cost and time due to vicinity of Coop collecting point

2721%

Getting improved crossbred cows 23 18%

Social 23 18%

Total 130 100%Tis Abbay Table 2: Benefit Matrix

BenefitsTotal Kernels

Share in %

Increased income 63 39%

Reduced cost and time due to short distance

4025%

Access to stable milk market 32 20%

Savings 23 14%

Increased assets of the Association 2 1%

Total 160 100%

Robit Table 2: Benefit Matrix

BenefitsTotal Kernels

Share in %

Getting additional income 62 33%

Saving 35 18%

Access to stable market 17 9%

Reduced cost and time due to short distance

13

7%

Training 17 9%

Growth and change 24 13%

Profit sharing 16 8%

Being a good example to others 6 3%

Total 130 100%

Trends

. The categories of women more active in trading, are young women who are engaging more and more to trading these days as there is no enough land for agriculture due to population growth. Therefore they look for any means to be able to support themselves and to get out of the rural areas. Targeted supported to this particular category would lead to (self) employment.