How Women Tea Farmers, Tea is a key cash crop in Malawi, and the business is one of the largest employment in the country. 바카라사이트
It is a significant source of cash income for small-scale farmers. However, substantial gender inequities exist at the smallholder level, and women tea producers are falling behind.
Women’s rights organization Women’s Legal Resources Centre (WOLREC) investigated legal
Empowerment – the process by which people assess and secure their rights – as part of the Empowering Rural Producers in Commercial Agriculture project
Focusing specifically on women smallholder tea farmers and how it could support their agency in commercial relations.
Knowledge, talents, and societal contribution
Men and women are regarded to have separate sets of knowledge and skills in Malawian society, and each gender prefers to conform to socially given roles.
As a result, gender stereotyping around knowledge and skills is prevalent in the smallholder tea farming sector:
Male tea farmers are thought to be knowledgeable about how to make their tea businesses profitable
Which inputs will optimize production, and how to negotiate what will work for their tea business.
Meanwhile, women take on subservient positions; their knowledge is generally thought to be restricted to how to cultivate the land.
As a result, they are rarely skilled negotiators; for example, if they are involved in negotiating pricing for the sale of their tea
They are likely to accept any offer offered without seeking to negotiate a higher price.
Working with the Nsuwadzi Tea Association, a smallholder out-growers association
WOLREC investigated legal empowerment as a tool for strengthening the agency of Nsuwadzi smallholder tea farmers
Examining how to realize their rights to choose, act, and affect change in accordance with their priorities and needs. WOLREC approached legal empowerment with a specific focus on gender equity.
How Women Tea Farmers, Gender audit: deconstructing perceptions
WOLREC conducted a gender audit to analyze men and women tea association members’ comprehension of gender equity.
The findings revealed that, while both men and women recognized the notion and relevance of gender parity, they did not put it into practice.
Women obviously acknowledged the benefits of leadership, of developing knowledge and skills, of contributing to and growing their communities, but they did not identify as leaders.
The gender audit also revealed that, while women recognize the value of their participation in leadership and development
They are hampered by cultural stereotypes about gender: men are natural leaders
Men have the right and priority to develop and acquire new knowledge; women belong at home;
Resources invested in women’s development are wasted resources; leadership roles are too demanding for women; women are unable to speak out in public meetings. 카지노사이트
In short, society does not expect women to lead, develop, or contribute to their communities.
Such strongly ingrained ideas severely limit women’s agency in their homes, communities, associations, and commercial relationships.
In short, society does not expect women to lead, develop, or contribute to their communities.
Such deeply ingrained views severely constrain women’s agency in their homes, communities, associations, and commercial partnerships.
How Women Tea Farmers? are becoming more self-assured.
In response to the gender audit, WOLREC advocated for the establishment of women-only forums where women could assemble and be trained
With skills to question cultural norms, take on leadership positions, and actively contribute to the development of their communities.
Women developed skills in public speaking, leadership – fostering female leaders and emphasizing
The need of gender-balanced leadership and negotiation – and advocacy. Gender mainstreaming mentorship sessions were also provided to members
The association as a tool for examining how gender could be integrated into their work.
Legal empowerment through a gender lens: a win-win situation for both men and women
Legal empowerment with a conscious gender focus can not only increase women’s legal literacy by increasing their understanding of their rights
But it can also empower them to resist gender stereotypes and fully exercise their rights. 카지노 블로그