The Gendered Impact of Agricultural Market Reforms on Financial Bene-fits in Uganda’s Smallholder Farming Households
Abstract
Although studies have reported a positive correlation between agricultural market-liberalization reforms, smallholder commercialization and rural household income, the effect of this shift on gender income relations remains less understood. This study aimed to examine the gendered effect of market reforms and the resulting accelerated commercialization on income in smallholder farming households in Uganda, focusing on Irish Potato farming households in Rubanda district, South-western Uganda. We employed a sequential mixed-methods design involving quantitative and qualitative data strands. Quantitative data were obtained through a survey of 201 potato farmers while qualitative data were obtained through 15 key informants interviews, 27 in-depth interviews and 9 FGDs. STATA 17 for descriptive and inferential statistics –Chi Square and ‘t-test’– were used to analyse quantitative data while deductive thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Results revealed that market reforms and commercialization led to the emergence of dichotomous income streams for male and female members of households. Positive change in women’s income significantly improved their position in a number of income management and decision aspects including allocation in crop production, custody and other household affairs, mainly children’s education. However, commercialization situated potato production in the monetary domain increasing men’s interest in the crop, previously women’s domain, as a major source of income. This heightened patriarchal power and authority over women’s attained positions and agency, perpetuating unequal gender income relations. Results suggest that increasing women’s income from independently managed plots produces positive and significant bargaining outcomes. The study underlines the need for government and other development actors to provide targeted training to women and building their capacities to manage income from independently farmed plots, and changing men’s negative attitudes and norms towards women’s ownership of and control over income.
Keywords:
Agricultural market reforms, commercialisation, gendered income relationsDownloads
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