Presenter Anna StrempelAustralian Youth Ambassador for Development

Topic “Women farmers in Aceh”

Date 3pm, Thursday 15 September 2011

Venue Conference Room, ACIAR House, Canberra

Acknowledgements Strempel A (2011) Women's farming groups in Aceh: reflections from a year as a volunteer, ACIAR Seminar

Series presentation, 15 September 2011, Canberra, Australia.

Women's farming groups in Aceh: Reflections from a year as a volunteer

Anna Strempel

My Assignment

• Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) program

• 9 month position (extended to 12) focusing on women’s farming groups– Needs assessment research & report– Women farmers’ forum #2– Women in Agriculture Network workshop– Strategic planning

A quick look at Aceh

The KWT project

• Began 2009 in West Aceh

• Now 25 groups, >400 women

3

11

9

11

Introducing Some Very Effective Women

Ibu

Why focus on women?Women perform 66 percent of the world’s work [and] produce 50 percent of the food, but earn 10 percent of the income and own 1 percent of the property

– UNICEF 2007

Failure to account for the “roles, differences and inequities” between men and women poses “a serious threat to the effectiveness of the agricultural development agenda”

- World Bank’s ‘Gender and agriculture sourcebook’

Improvements in health care, nutrition and education can only be sustained with an increase in household income and greater control by women over financial resources.

- UNFPA 2007

Traditional gender divisions of labor often consign women farmers to subsistence production for [household] consumption. Policies and interventions that accept this as a given and assume that commercial production is the province of men will miss many opportunities to tap into the tremendous productive potential of women.”

- Ashby 2008

Needs Assessment

• Interviews – KWT leaders and full

groups– PPL– Organisations

• Literature review

PROJECT IMPACTS

Social Impacts

• Improving quality of life• Empowering women• Healthier, happier women;

healthier, happier communities

“Our whole village has been

happier since the KWT was established”

Economic Impacts

• Supplements primary income

• Buying less vegies = financial savings

• Financial empowerment

Food Security • Improving local access

to fresh fruit & veg• Diversifying range of

crops• Improving productivity

& resilience

“Meeting world food needs in future will depend… on the capabilities and resources of women”

- International Food Policy Research Institute

Health Impacts

• Improved nutrition for women & their families

38% of Acehnese children suffer stunting from malnutrition

- UNICEF 2005

Uptake of Organic Methods

• Biopesticides, organic fertilisers in use already

• Chemical use seen as unhealthy, expensive

• Women want to learn more

BUT• Chemical companies have a

stronghold• People have become

dependent

Building Capacity

Activities to date:• Forums• Peer-to-peer learning• KWT visits• Training programs• Info dist & extension (PPL,

BPTP)

Building Capacity

Learning new skills in:• Group management &

leadership• Managing finances &

credit systems• Cultivation techniques

incl. organic methods

Some things that work

• Demonstration• Farming is hard work;

KWT make it more enjoyable

• Extension officers – the local link

• Having a long-term presence

• Self-driven with support where needed

SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT…

Gender

“In Africa, a donkey-drawn intercrop cultivator could halve weeding time per acre, but women lack the cash to purchase new equipment and men will not invest cash when women’s manual labor is available to them at no cost.”Ashby et al 2008

• Project appropriation• Is there a role for men?• Institutional context

Land Tenure

“If women had secure title to land they could invest in it rather than merely working it, and this would encourage them to adopt sustainable farming practices.”

FAO 1999

Extension Officers

• A resource with massive potential…• Challenges:– Under resourced– Need for professional development

WHAT NEXT FOR KWT?

What is needed?• Capacity building

– Leadership training for KWTs and PPL– Organic/permaculture training– Post-harvest processing training– Further (more structured?) KWT visits

• Increased support & agency for Nazariah• Strategic planning• Achieving independence

Achieving Independence

• Women in Agriculture Network• Financing through microcredit• Building leadership skills• Expanding activities• Addressing gender and land tenure issues

BUILDING A WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE NETWORK

Women Farmers Said…Q: Do we need a network?

A: YES! We need a network because:• Groups will be more visible and more easily supported, and it

will be easier to achieve our desired goals. • When we’ve formed an organisation it will be easier for us to

achieve the things we want. • It will provide a platform for women farmers to learn together.

Women farmers can:

• Share knowledge & experiences with each other

Aceh Besar groups visit Mekar Jaya, Bireuen

Women farmers can:

• Learn more about managing groups • Become stronger leaders

Women farmers can:

• Link with helpful organisations and programs

• Develop a stronger political voice

Network Development Workshop

• 2 days• 65 attendees– KWT leaders– PPL– Academics– NGOs (ag, gender,

livelihoods, permaculture)

– Government (ag, health, food security)

Workshop Outcomes• Vision

– Women Farmers of Aceh to be an independent, prosperous network with a strong bargaining position.

• Mission– Establish and strengthen the capacity of each KWT

district/city in Aceh– Build networks and cooperate with other parties– Improve knowledge and skills of members in the KWTs– Build social and economic independence of KWT

• Links built with women leaders and supporters• Chairperson elected• Momentum

What next for the network?

• Establishing a committee

• Developing a communications strategy

• Activating links developed through workshop

• http://www.youtube.com/user/australianetworknews?blend=1&ob=5#p/u/0/7XMaiRONdUY