1 gender issues in agriculture statistics tashkent, 11-15 july 2005
TRANSCRIPT
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Gender Issues in Agriculture Statistics
Tashkent, 11-15 July 2005
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Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) Global mandate to be source for agricultural
statistics UN mandate as a focal point for rural women World Census on Agriculture Framework
Assist countries by providing definitions, concepts, standards and guidelines
Advice on conducting agricultural censuses Collect and disseminate statistics (FAOSTAT)
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FAO Agricultural Census Items
1. Total number and area of agricultural holdings
2. Number and area of holdings classified by size of area of holding
3. Fragmentation of holdings into separate parcels
4. Legal status of the holder
5. Land tenure of holdings
6. Area of holdings by tenure of land operated
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FAO Agricultural Census Items
7. Members of holder's household, including holder, by sex
8. Employment in agriculture
9. Land use
10. Temporary crops (on arable land)
11. Permanent crops
12. Livestock
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Analysing Gender Relations Ask basic questions to arrive at an
understanding of the structure and dynamics of the rural farm household or agricultural holding:
Who does what? Who owns what? Who has access to/controls what (i.e., which
productive assets)? Who knows what? Who benefits? Who should be included in development programmes
(and how)?
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Table 1. FAO Proposed Core Set of Gender-Sensitive Indicators from Agricultural Census Data
Gender Analysis Question Indicator
Who does what?
Role of women in agriculture
Ratio of males-females economically active in the labour force
Difference in average of median age of males and females economically active in agriculture
Who owns what?
Ownership of agricultural land
Share of agricultural holdings that are female headed
Difference in median age of male and female heads of holdings
Who has access to/controls what?
Use of farm machinery and equipment
Use of fertilizer
Use of agricultural pesticides
Ratio of male and female headed holdings that use farm equipment
Ratio of male and female-headed holdings that use fertilizer
Ratio of male and female-headed holdings that use agricultural pesticide
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Main Sources of Agricultural Statistics
Agricultural censuses
Linked surveys
Population and housing censuses
Administrative records
Other general surveys
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Gender-related agricultural statistics: problems Cash crop production determines the minimum
size for measured agricultural holdings
In population surveys and censuses, the participation of women in agriculture is largely underreported
Concept of land holder
Biases in collection…
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Common Biases
Typical causes of error include….
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Inadequate Definitions and Concepts
Fail to reflect gender differentiations accurately
Definitions include:
Head of agricultural holding Economic activity
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FAO Definition of Holder
Holder: “a civil or juridical person who makes major decisions regarding resource use and exercises management control over the agricultural holding operation.
The holder has technical and economic responsibility for the holding and may undertake all responsibilities directly, or delegate responsibilities related to day-to-day work management to a hired manager.”
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Erroneous Wording of Questions
Many women not recorded due to badly worded question
Example: work construed only as remunerated activity => women not listed as workers of agricultural holding
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ILO Definition of Paid and Unpaid Work
Paid Unpaid
Economically active
Production of services Outside SNA
Production of goods
Inside SNA
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Selecting the Wrong Respondent
Example: male respondents may report women who
are actually working on a agricultural holding as being economically inactive
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Using the Wrong Interviewer
Interviewers can introduce biases and personal values in the way they formulate questions
Can be the result of : Own prejudices Insufficient training Simple carelessness
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Communication Problems
Respondents might fail to understand content/language of questionnaire
Interviewers may establish poor rapport through verbal (inappropriate language) or non-verbal (body language) channels
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Obscuring the Truth
Respondents deliberately give the wrong answer:
To meet social norm
Fearful of consequences of response
Example (African): man deliberately denies that wife works with oxen due to social taboo
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FAO suggested actions
Collect data about individuals rather than entities (farm or holding)
Use ILO definition of economic activity
Make subsistence agriculture more visible
Promote the measurement of secondary activities
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FAO suggested actions
Ensure that agricultural holdings are identified through the households concerned
Improve linkages between the population census and the agricultural census
Develop standard criteria to determine the minimum size of holdings covered
Ensure that multiple holdings are not amalgamated into one holding and that joint holders are identified
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Further Information
www.fao.org Mr John Curry
Gender and Development ServiceFAO Gender and Population Division