1. Gender in Agricultural programs: Learning
from Practice
Workshop on Improving agri-practice: adding
value for Women in Agriculture-ICRW
24th May 2011,
Gerald Mutinda- East Africa Dairy Development Project, Nairobi

2. Overview
Brief about EADD,
How Gender Analysis was conducted
The kinds of Data collected & at what Nodes
How data was/is used to shape implementation &
outcomes
Bottlenecks during implementation associated to lack of
gender data
Conclusions & lessons

3. EADD in brief
• A 4 (& ½) years smallholder dairy project
• Vision-Double dairy income in 179,000 families
• Knowledge based interventions to:
• Sustainably increase dairy productivity & efficiency
• Expand dairy markets and increase access
• Through the dairy-hub approach
• Countries; Kenya, Rwanda & Uganda
• A consortium of partners led by Heifer
international- Technoserve, ILRI, ICRAF, ABS
• Funded by BMG Foundation

4. Cornerstone of the project: the hub
approach

5. How Gender Analysis was
conducted

6. 1. Dairy sub-sector value chain analysis
Value chain of both formal and informal market is •Analysis not
fragmented, with low level of vertical integration sufficiently
Chilling
Processin Transport/d
Gendered
Production Transport and Retail
bulking
g istribution •Very minimal
Players • ~ 1.8 M • Large • A number of • 34 • Informal: a • Mobile: a gender
smallholders number of bulking registered, 3 number of large
• ~ 5K large individuals
using bike,
centers large brokers and
hawkers
number of
traders
disaggregation
farms • ~ 70 chilling
foot or
vehicles
plants, not all
operational
• Formal: a
number of
selling milk
door to door of data
agents and
distributors
• Fixed:
kiosks,
•Data collected;
stores,
supermarke production,
ts
Integration • Can be • Owned by • Own chilling • Producers Transport,
done by either plants and and
producers or producers or some parts of transporters Chilling &
by processors, transport sometimes
processors
when they
some donor-
funded
chain sell milk
directly to
Bulking;
buy directly
from
end
consumer processing
producers
Distribution &
Informal and formal
Source:
Formal
Source: Interviews, market research, KDB, IFC, ILRI 19
Retailing

7. The first transportation mean is usually a Transport
bike, foot or donkey
Chilling
plant
Sector characteristics Br
ok
• Maximum capacity ~100lt er
/ha
• Average distance 10-30km wk
er
• Buys milk at 7-8 am, delivers by 9,10 s
am, a maximum of one run a day
• Earn a spread of ~ 4Ksh/liter (buy at
17Ksh, sell at 21ksh)
• Successful transporters have long
term relationships with buyers and
sellers
• Most pay cash to producers, some
extend cash advances
Source: Interviews The link to markets-”transportation” extremely
male (youths) dominated 7

8. 2. Project baseline survey-
Dedicated a whole chapter on; “Gender, dairy
production and marketing”
Focused more on Household production
dynamics
Data was gender disaggregated to a great extent
Is Gender blind VCA a missed opportunity?;
Project Baseline can be remedial

9. Project baseline survey- Kind of Data
General household characteristics – headship & farm management (Resources, age,
experience farming, years of schooling
Patterns of ownership-livestock & other assets; Electronic, communication,
transport related, farm equipment and tools
Access to & use of general & livestock technologies-irrigation, improved breeding
strategies-A.I. Expenditure on livestock services
Access to & use of other services (credit, training, membership in groups,
investing credit to dairying, reasons not accessing credit)
Decision making patterns (e.g. use of A.I, sale of milk, dominance influence
or joint,
Participation in milk markets & membership in Coops- proportion
selling milk,
Who receives money from sale of milk- morning and evening milk,
formal and traditional markets

10. Usage of data to shape implementation & outcomes
A gender strategy was developed- informed by
the baseline survey & other field analysis;
site specific gender analyses- e.g. division of labor in
pastoralist sites,
Based on the gender strategy and review of field
experiences,
◦ Results oriented annual action plans are developed
◦ Mainstream M & E outcomes, outputs, targets and
milestones were reviewed- Engendered
◦ Training and staff capacity development programme
developed.

11. Gender strategy- Household dynamics & Production
Key issue 11. Decision making at the production level still largely remain with men
Low women decision / joint decision • Targeted gender training in groups
making in livestock issues • Exposure visits for both men and women that
demonstrate benefits of shared decision making and
women’s involvements e.g visits to successful dairy
women farmers
Key issue 12. Move from pastoralists’ to intensive system of farming where women have higher workload with no
revenue. Women are thus resisting change
a) Added labour for women e.g feeding • Analyse the labour issues involved in shifts from
and watering of cows in intensive and pastoral system to the intensive system for women
zero grazed systems and yet no
additional income for them

12. Gender strategy- Participation
in Farmer marketing groups
Key issue 8: Low registration of women in groups. While joint registration has been taken up, it has its own shortcomings and
names are on paper but women still do not participate
Men are the decision makers • Sensitization to both men and women during the group formation
when it comes to registration in processes of the benefits of having more than one registered
groups. member of family.
• More actively combine use of women groups and mixed groups
Key issue 9: Women not actively taking up leadership roles and when they do, they are taking the roles of treasurer or
Secretary in groups
Women not taking up leadership Gender sensitization to the executive committee
positions in groups and DFBAs/ • Empowerment training for women leaders/ potential leaders that
co-operatives includes basic training on leadership skills, organizational and
facilitation skills
• Develop a mentoring system for women leaders and potential leaders
that include exchange visits to groups led by other women
• Strengthen roles taken by women leaders by making them participate
in sub-committees.

13. Gender strategy- Chilling &
bulking issues
Key Issue 6: Milk is delivered to CPs by women but money is collected by men/husbands. As a result, some women divert milk
from the chilling plants. Money is also diverted due to the payment schedule of the chilling plant (monthly/ or bi weekly)
Although joint registration has been • Group discussions with women on possible solutions
implemented, it has its own short • Test strategies such as group registration of women in the
comings in that names are on paper chilling plants
but women still do not receive the
money from milk sales
Women keep more and have more • Combine both formal and informal milk marketing to ensure
control of milk sold in the evening to women do not lose control of milk income.
informal markets compared to milk • Encourage registration of women in the chilling plants
going to chilling plants

14. Bottlenecks
Sluggish uptake of the practice of gender
disaggregating data/information,
Which constrained planning & gender
responsiveness of the project,
Low appreciation of the inherent gender
inequity
◦ = limited commitment & accountability among staff
Anecdotal gender outcomes concealed

15. Lessons
A gender aware livestock project is not just a
technical project!- is compelled to indulge in
HH/community dynamics,
Capacity of project staff on gender is often assumed
leading to missed opportunities
Women likely to curve new roles in the Traditional
markets compared to more formal CP hubs (a
research question!)
Male farmers are interested in change, especially
when it makes a business sense to HH wellbeing!

16. Thank You!