Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report RESILIENCE THROUGH WEALTH, AGRICULTURE AND NUTRITION (RWANU) PROGRAM WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN AGRICULTURE INDEX (WEAI) IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT JANUARY 2016 Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report i WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT IN AGRICULTURE INDEX (WEAI) IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT CONTACTS: Moustapha Niang Henry Huka Duba Senior Director, Project Management Department Chief of Party ACDI/VOCA ACDI/VOCA – RWANU 50 F Street N.W., Suite 1000 Plot 12 Acacia Avenue, Washington, D.C. 20001 Kampala, Uganda mniang@acdivoca.org hduba@acdivocaug.biz Tel: (202) 469-6094 Tel: +256 757 721 201 REPORT AUTHORS: LYDIA MBEVI, ACDI/VOCA REGIONAL GENDER AND YOUTH ADVISOR, AFRICA JENNIFER LORIKA, RWANU GENDER SPECIALIST REPORT EDITOR: JENN WILLIAMSON, ACDI/VOCA DIRECTOR OF GENDER MAINSTREAMING & WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT DATE: NOVEMBER 2015 DISCLAIMER: This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by ACDI/VOCA. This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of these said items are the sole responsibility of ACDI/VOCA and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States government. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report ii CONTENTS Abbreviations ...................................................................................................................................iii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................4 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................. 7 Tools .......................................................................................................................................................... 7 Research Team .......................................................................................................................................... 7 Sampling and Sample Size ......................................................................................................................... 7 Data Collection and Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 8 Limitations ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Key Findings.......................................................................................................................................9 Domain I: Decision Making on Production ............................................................................................... 9 Domain II: Access to Productive Resources ............................................................................................11 Domain III: Control Over Use of Income ................................................................................................. 13 Domain IV: Community Leadership ........................................................................................................15 Domain V: Time Allocation .....................................................................................................................16 Recommendations ...........................................................................................................................19 Domain I: Production Decision Making ..................................................................................................19 Domain II: Access to Productive Resources ............................................................................................19 Domain III: Control Over Use of Income ................................................................................................. 20 Domain IV: Community Leadership ........................................................................................................21 Domain V: Time Allocation .....................................................................................................................21 Recommendations and Further Guidance for the RWANU Gender Strategy .........................................22 Annex Annex 1: Focus Group Discussion Guide ......................................................................................................... Annex 2: Key Informant Interview Guide ....................................................................................................... Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report iii ABBREVIATIONS ASCA Accumulated Savings and Credit Associations FaaB Farming as a Business FEW Field Extension Worker FGD Focus Group Discussion FTG Farmer Training Group GAP Good Agronomic Practice GBV Gender-Based Violence GHG Growth Health and Governance IR Intermediate Result KII Key Informant Interview M&E Monitoring and Evaluation NRM Natural Resource Management PLW Pregnant and Lactating Women RWANU Resilience through Wealth, Agriculture and Nutrition SBC Social and Behavior Change SO Strategic Objective USAID United States Agency for International Development USG United States Government Ushs Uganda Shillings WEAI Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index WHH Welthungerhilfe 5DE Five Domains of Empowerment Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Resiliency through Wealth, Agriculture and Nutrition in Karamoja (RWANU) is a five-year, $50 million USAID Food For Peace-funded project implemented by a consortium of three partners: ACDI/VOCA, Concern Worldwide (Concern), and Welthungerhilfe (WHH). Currently in its third year of implementation, RWANU’s goal is reduced food insecurity among vulnerable people in southern Karamoja. The RWANU project team carried out a qualitative impact assessment to determine what effect the program has had on both men and women and to assess specifically whether the program has had an impact upon women’s empowerment. The study is not meant to generalize but rather provide an in-depth look into the impact of RWANU’s interventions in the households sampled. The study was based upon the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI)1 and assessed levels of empowerment in the five domains prioritized by the WEAI: production, resources, income, leadership, and time. This WEAI Impact Assessment was carried out at the midterm of the program in order to assess progress toward gender equity and empowerment goals in RWANU agriculture activities as well as to inform revisions to the gender strategy and improve efforts to mainstream gender across project activities. Findings from the WEAI Impact assessment will be used to strengthen the RWANU exit strategy and sustainability approach, informing revisions to the gender strategy and fortifying ongoing gender mainstreaming efforts across project activities. The WEAI Impact Assessment key findings are as follows: Domain I: Production (decision making and autonomy)  Both men and women demonstrated an increased awareness and application of Good Agronomic Practices (GAP)  Women’s participation in block farm trainings has increased women’s empowerment in productive decision making The WEAI Impact Assessment found that both men and women respondents feel that they have increased access to agricultural information through the program’s activities. The program activities are designed in a manner that allows staff to interact regularly with beneficiaries and provide them with extension services, which include information on best practices in agriculture. In general, both men and women respondents also indicated that they consult with each other, both at the group level as well as at the household level, on decisions around production, such as where they will plant, what they will plant, and how they will plant. Respondents clearly indicated that they are taking what they learn from RWANU beyond the group activities to other community and household activities, particularly in regard to specific skills on GAPs. The respondents interviewed indicated that they are practicing GAP on all of their other crops that are not part of the RWANU program. This was evident when the study team visited one household and could see clearly how their farm is laid out and planted in rows, while their neighbor, who did not attend RWANU training, was still broadcasting their seed for planting. Domain II: Resources (asset ownership and control; access and decision on credit) 1 The WEAI is further discussed on page 5, and additional information about the WEAI is available from Feed the Future at http://feedthefuture.gov/lp/womens-empowerment-agriculture-index. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 2  Women’s access to land is mediated through male relatives and remains limited to a large extent by a patriarchal inheritance system  Although women are perceived as not having equal rights to own or inherit land, some women access additional land by hiring it in the off-season  Ownership of goats has increased community respect and male support of women’s asset ownership  The ASCA approach has contributed to women’s increased access to cash and credit  Women’s decisions on credit are strongly determined by male family support or the lack thereof The RWANU program has contributed a great deal to women’s empowerment through Accumulated Savings and Credit Associations (ASCA). These small savings groups have provided female participants with access to credit that other women in the region, who are not members of the groups, cannot reach. Findings related to the investment of ASCA savings indicate a need for expanded income-generating opportunities: while there has been some investment in agricultural production by a few of the groups, most of the investment is going toward beer-brewing businesses that have potential negative health impacts on households. When asked about access to land, respondents indicated that women are not restricted and there is consultation around use of land. Female participants reported that they are consulted on what will be planted, which piece of land will be used for what activity as well as other decisions around use of land for agriculture. Female respondents who owned goats reported that they feel empowered within the community. Respondents reported that the ownership of goats has also contributed to women being treated with more respect by their husbands, who regard livestock with very high importance. Some male respondents indicated that they are putting money aside to ensure that their wives’ goats receive necessary veterinary drugs. This model, however, needs additional technical support to ensure that the goats thrive. Domain III: Income (control over income use)  Women reported that consultation on use of income at the household level has increased In general, both male and female respondents indicated that they consult with each other at the household level regarding decision making on income from agriculture and other sources. Although the crop has not done well in the previous season due to poor weather conditions, men and women still discuss and agree on the household budget. The respondents interviewed indicated that this consultation was going on before the project to a much smaller degree but has increased and been strengthened as a result of RWANU’s activities with the communities. Domain IV: Leadership (group participation; public speaking)  Women’s membership in groups has contributed to access to information and increased confidence  Women’s leadership participation in producer groups has contributed to increased participation in community leadership Approximately 7,724 and 3,713 men are participating in savings groups (11,437 total). Women in savings groups were able to accumulate an average of 60,000 Ugandan shillings (approximately $17) per person over the course of 12 months. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 3  Low literacy inhibits women’s participation in community leadership  A lack of confidence inhibits some women’s willingness to participate in activities that require public speaking Respondents attributed the increase in women’s access to and participation in producer organizations as well as the opportunity to serve in leadership roles to RWANU activities, as there were very few agricultural women’s groups as well as women in leadership positions before RWANU. As per the gender assessment at RWANU’s inception, one of the main constraints of women’s participation in groups was their time poverty. Domain V: Time (workload; leisure)  Participation in Farmer Training Groups (FTG) that include attention to workload sharing and budgeting has positively impacted workload sharing in agricultural production in the community and at the household level  Caretaking remains primarily a female responsibility, but increased agriculture and household workload sharing has resulted in small increases in male participation in caretaking  Women’s leisure time has somewhat increased Time burdens have been addressed by promoting men’s and women’s shared workload in agriculture where both men and women are participating in food production. Women’s participation and leadership in producer groups has also contributed to women’s confidence to participate in non-RWANU activities in their community. However, low literacy levels remain the biggest constraint to women being elected into leadership positions. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 4 INTRODUCTION The RWANU project is a five-year, $50 million USAID Food For Peace-funded project implemented by a consortium of three partners: ACDI/VOCA, Concern, and WHH. Currently in its third year of implementation, RWANU’s goal is reduced food insecurity among vulnerable people in southern Karamoja. The program has two Strategic Objectives (SO): 1) Improved access to food for men and women 2) Reduced malnutrition in pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and children under five ACDI/VOCA is responsible for overall program management and leads implementation of most activities under SO1. WHH implements the technical training and input provision related to livestock. Concern has primary responsibility for SO2, while ACDI/VOCA manages commodities. The partners work together to ensure integration across activities and to promote gender equity and women’s empowerment, natural resource management (NRM), and disaster risk reduction (DRR) as well as conflict mitigation. RWANU activities are related to crop production, alternative livelihoods, increasing resiliency through the promotion of savings groups, and improving market linkages. Complementary activities include the distribution of food rations, technical training, and input provision related to livestock as well as activities related to nutrition, health, and hygiene. All activities are designed and implemented to ensure the promotion of gender equity and women’s empowerment. The RWANU approach is different from some of the traditional interventions that the community is used to: the majority of previous programs implemented in south Karamoja were “cash for work” activities in which farmers were given cash to plough and weed. The programs often included seed distribution to offset the lack of access to inputs, as this is a marginalized region. In support of its cross-cutting gender equity and women’s empowerment objectives, RWANU conducted a baseline gender analysis in 2013. In the communities where RWANU was being implemented, the gender analysis found that both men and women work on horticulture activities but often in gender differentiated roles. While men participated in cultivation—particularly in the heavier tasks of land clearance and ploughing—women conducted the major share of the work in cultivation and had a proportionally heavier workload. Although livestock ownership has been reduced due to raiding and insecurity, it remained primarily a male activity, with men and boys responsible for nearly all aspects of their management. Men maintain complete autonomy over all livestock, even when the animal nominally belongs to the women, including sale, purchase, and use of the profits. In addition to heavy agriculture workloads, women were responsible for virtually all reproductive or domestic work and for ensuring that households have sufficient food to eat on a daily basis. The gender analysis found little evidence of men taking on reproductive tasks; social customs and peer pressure were important in maintaining traditional gender roles. The gender analysis also showed a very clear delineation between the amount and type of resources that men and women can make decisions over. In general, women’s independent control was limited to very small funds and limited investments that can help income smoothing – leveling out income—on a day-to-day basis. Men’s sphere of control extends to any more The vast majority of female RWANU participants are engaged in crop farming (more than 80%), but they are also heavily involved in livestock and poultry keeping (47.5%) as well as nonagricultural trade or business (41.9%). Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 5 substantial quantity of cash, livelihood investments, and livestock; in all areas their decision making is final and in many places their decision making remains autonomous, with little meaningful consultation with women. Traditionally, older men have the representational and decision-making role for households. Although the gender analysis found that women and youth were present in community￾level forums, the cultural expectation continued to be that men still make the decisions. Also in 2013, USAID conducted an independent WEAI survey in Uganda with a focus on RWANU and Growth, Health and Governance (GHG) coverage areas in Karamoja. The WEAI is a USAID survey-based index commissioned by the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative and designed to measure the state of empowerment and gender parity in agriculture, identify key areas in which empowerment needs to be strengthened, and track progress over time. It assesses the degree to which women are empowered in five domains of empowerment (5DE) in agriculture: 1. Production: this looks at decisions about agricultural production and refers to sole or joint decision making about food and cash crop farming, livestock and fisheries, and autonomy in agricultural production, with no judgment on whether sole or joint decision making was better or reflected greater empowerment 2. Resources: ownership of, access to, and decision-making power about productive resources such as land, livestock, agricultural equipment, consumer durables, and credit 3. Income: sole or joint control over the use of income and expenditures 4. Leadership: leadership in the community as measured by membership in economic or social groups and comfort speaking in public 5. Time: allocation of time to productive and domestic tasks and satisfaction with the time available for leisure activities The WEAI tracks both male and female empowerment, assessing differences in order to determine gendered gaps in empowerment. The data collected through the WEAI reveals the percentage of women who are empowered and, among those who are not, the percentage of domains in which women enjoy adequate achievements. It enables implementers and projects to prioritize interventions and address empowerment gaps. The findings of the 2013 USAID WEAI in Uganda showed that female respondents were disproportionately disempowered compared to their male counterparts. Women’s lack of control over the use of income from agriculture, lack of access to or decision-making ability related to use of credit, unequal work burden, lack of autonomy over production, and their lack of group membership were found to be major contributors to women’s disempowerment in the region. The RWANU gender analysis and data from the WEAI findings shaped the RWANU gender strategy, whose approach focused on enhancing the sharing of the agricultural workload, enhancing access to credit as well as building the capacity of producer organizations so that female members can benefit just as much as their male counterparts. The RWANU gender strategy includes the following key components:  A decision to work with mixed groups with at least 50 percent female members and promote women in one in three leadership positions for agriculture to promote more equitable sharing of workload Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 6  Completion of a task analysis (calendar of agricultural tasks by gender roles) at the start-up of groups, recommended to be done annually thereafter where the field extension workers (FEW) promote women’s roles in decision making within groups  Mitigation of the impact of program activities on women’s time through good coordination, selection of venues for training and demonstration plots, and inclusion of child care  Inclusion of labor-saving interventions to promote reduction of women’s workload  Annual gender awareness training and/or exchange visits for all group leaders  Support for key events in the calendar to promote women’s and children’s rights This WEAI Impact Assessment is intended to build upon the 2013 survey findings and assess the impact of the RWANU gender approach. The assessment also seeks to determine whether the project can identify a shift in empowerment after two years. The following learning questions guided the assessment: To what extent have RWANU’s activities contributed to the following actions:  Joint decision making over production?  Access to productive resources for both male and female beneficiaries?  Control over use of income for both male and female beneficiaries?  Women’s participation and empowerment in community leadership?  Allocation of time to productive and domestic tasks for male and female beneficiaries? Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 7 Methodology This WEAI Impact Assessment employed a qualitative methodology drawing on a review of project data, semi-structured focus group discussions (FGD), and key informant interviews (KII) with project beneficiaries. The study was structured to focus on the five empowerment domains prioritized by WEAI and directly related to RWANU SO1: improved availability and access to food. Tools The WEAI Impact Assessment used a FGD guide as well as a KII guide. The FGD guide and KII guide were initially developed by a team composed of the RWANU gender specialist and the Africa regional gender and youth advisor. They were reviewed by and revised in partnership with the RWANU deputy chief of party, the monitoring and evaluation manager, and the livelihoods director. The livelihoods director and gender specialist translated the tools into the local language of Nga’Karimojong. The tools focused primarily on the five WEAI domains of production, resources, income, leadership, and time, and are annexed in this report as Annex 1 and Annex 2. The aim of the tools was to form a basis for reflection on the domains while allowing flexibility for deeper reflection on what the program can do to improve availability and access to food. Research Team The research team was composed of four members: the gender specialist, the Africa regional gender and youth advisor, and two female translators who also served as note takers. The translators were hired independently based on their previous work with RWANU in the 2014 annual survey. In order to ensure that the notes were captured accurately and that nothing was lost during the translation, the gender specialist and regional gender and youth advisor also took notes of all interviews. The WEAI Impact Assessment team also worked with local male and female FEWs. The FEWs were responsible for mobilizing communities for the interviews and assisted with translation as needed. Sampling and Sample Size The WEAI Impact Assessment was conducted in selected subcounties in the four districts of Moroto, Napak, Nakapiripirit, and Amudat. The gender specialist and the Africa regional gender and youth advisor worked with the deputy chief of party, the monitoring and evaluation manager, and the livelihoods director to determine the sample location and size, bearing in mind the different cultural attributes, religious affiliations, and ethnicities of the communities with which RWANU works. The study team used purposive sampling to select the communities where the FGDs would be conducted, targeting study participants based on the fact that they are RWANU beneficiaries. The participants selected were from Matheniko, Pian, Bokora, and Pokot from the four districts of Amudat, Moroto, Nakapiripirit, and Napak. These counties and districts were selected based on the fact that they are within the geographical location under which RWANU operates. They were also selected based on their proximity as the WEAI Impact Assessment team had a limited number of days in the field. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 8 The WEAI Impact Assessment team collected data through 18 FGDs with a total of 139 project participants and nine KIIs, all of whom are direct RWANU beneficiaries. The FGDs were composed of men-only groups and women-only groups, with five men-only FGDs (a total of 46 male project participants) and 10 women-only FGDs (a total of 93 female project participants). Study participants were from the project’s work on block farms, beekeeping groups, dairy goat groups, ASCAs, and mother care groups. Data Collection and Analysis The data collection took place over a period of four days in the four districts. Following each FGD or KII, the study team participated in a debriefing session to ensure that the notes were comprehensive and complete. Data collection continued throughout the end of the scheduled fieldwork, and data were then analyzed using a constant comparison method where the team compared findings from the RWANU Gender Analysis (2013) and the USAID WEAI Assessment (2013). Limitations Due to the large area covered by the program, and the time-bound nature of this assignment, the WEAI Impact Assessment study team could only travel for six days. However, within that time they reached a representative sample of the project participants in terms of cultural and socioeconomic contrasts. Another limitation is that the respondents might have been reporting positive impacts to the WEAI Impact Assessment team because they were representatives of the RWANU project. To mitigate against this positive bias, the team emphasized that this was a voluntary exercise and that there were no incentives for participating in the FGDs. The FGD facilitators ensured that they probed to get more details on respondents’ information, and they observed what was happening in the farms that they passed through in order to confirm information from the respondents. 0 10 20 30 40 50 Moroto Nakapiripirit Amudat Napak District Number of Focus Group Discussion Participants by Gender and District (WEAI Assessment) Male Female Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 9 KEY FINDINGS Domain I: Decision Making on Production Finding 1.1: Awareness of and application of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) by both men and women has increased since the start of RWANU. Using the Farming as a Business (FaaB) methodology, project participants are trained at block farms on GAPs, workload sharing, and budgeting in addition to receiving information on new technologies. A block farm is a piece of land that is five to 15 acres in which farmers are organized by RWANU to farm as a business, where they produce and market collectively. Participants in farmer trainings are household representatives, either a husband or wife. RWANU targeted 8,592 participants for these trainings across the districts studied. Although female participation in these activities was below target for FY13 and FY14, the numbers have been steadily increasing due to staff efforts to target both men and women in the dissemination of information. One key informant underscored that when women are targeted and mobilized, they attend trainings. Field extension agents ensure that training dates are communicated through the channels that reach both men and women; these include announcements in religious gatherings, markets, and other community centers. In FY13, the program was behind target in terms of reaching 50 percent female farmers, but by FY14 they were only short of their target by 17 percent. When asked about GAP, both male and female respondents, in equal measure, were able to name new technologies such as improved seed as well as planting in rows rather than broadcasting, as a result of the training they received under the RWANU program. Finding 1.2: Women’s membership in Farmer Training Groups (FTG) has contributed to access to information and increased confidence. RWANU supported the formation of 220 new FTGs in 2014, and was able to reach more than 8,000 farmers. These farmers were trained in improved technologies in crop cultivation, beekeeping, horticulture, and goat husbandry. Of those trained, 61.5 percent were female farmers, up from 57.5 percent trained in 2013 through the FTGs. A majority of female respondents stated that access to this information on farming best practices has increased their confidence to invest their time and money in agriculture. They “We have also learnt how to weed. We never used to weed before. That was women’s work.” -- male member of Nakonyen Group 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 Amudat Moroto Nakapiripirit Napak District Number of Men and Women Participating in FTGs Female Male Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 10 are now better placed to make informed decisions on what to plant, when to plant it, and how to maintain it until the harvest. Finding 1.3: Women’s participation in block farm trainings has increased women’s empowerment in productive decision making. In addition to providing women access to agricultural information, participation in block farms, which are composed of mixed sex groups, has been instrumental in empowering women to have the courage to speak and articulate their points in the presence of men. Decisions made at a block farm are conducted through a consultative process in which women participate. The women respondents who were interviewed reported that these activities have been critical to increasing their empowerment because their voice is represented and heard. The men respondents who were interviewed reported changed perceptions including sitting down as male and female members of the block farm to agree on what needs to be done on the farm and who will do it, as well as how it will be done. Finding 1.4: Increased knowledge on the production of nutritious crops has increased women’s participation in agricultural production. Women’s participation in RWANU trainings has built their knowledge and understanding about nutritious and quick-maturing crops such as kale, onions, tomatoes, and cabbage that contribute to household food security. Through these food crops, households have access to nutritious, quality food on a regular basis. Women respondents interviewed have the primary responsibility for putting food on the table, so their increased ability to produce nutritious food reliably has enhanced their reputation in the household and community. As their husbands and communities develop a greater appreciation for women’s knowledge and skill in producing nutritious food, the female respondents report an increase in their ability to make choices regarding agricultural best practices and consult their husbands in agricultural production. RWANU beneficiaries working together on a block farm after the FEW provided them with GAP technical support. Nakapiripirit District 55.6% of RWANU participants reported during the 2015 annual survey that decisions over the use of livestock inputs, technologies, and practices were made jointly between the male and female heads of household. description A demonstration plot where members of FTGs are being trained by our extension agent on best agronomic practices for planting groundnuts. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 11 Domain II: Access to Productive Resources Finding 2.1: Women’s access to land is mediated through male relatives and remains limited, to a large extent, by a patriarchal inheritance system; but awareness of the benefits to women’s access to land is increasing. The communities in the WEAI Impact Assessment study do not have title deeds, and land is passed down from one generation to the next through the male head of household. Women who are married have access to farming land through their husbands, while unmarried women have access to land through their male relatives. Although the law supports both men and women’s ownership of land, the communities follow patriarchal inheritance systems. However, some of the male and female respondents interviewed stated that the FEWs have created awareness on the importance of shared household decision making on access and control of land and other productive resources. This awareness raising conducted during the FTGs has contributed to an enabling environment for women in those groups to access land even at the household level. Finding 2.2: Although women are perceived as unable to own or inherit land, some women access additional land by hiring it in the off season. One of the women’s horticulture groups interviewed talked about how they hire land during the off season, when the owners are not using it, and use irrigation to plant onions and tomatoes. As a result of RWANU’s training on FaaB, the women have been empowered to shift from subsistence farming to farming for profit. This is an innovative way to access agricultural land as a result of their participation in RWANU trainings, and the women were able to make a very good profit in the last season using this approach. The women are motivated to produce these high-value crops in order to meet the market demand for the crops. Finding 2.3: Ownership of goats has increased community respect and male support for women’s asset ownership. RWANU has facilitated female ownership of goats through its partner WHH, which is tasked with providing technical support related to livestock. These goats can be used for milk, which is highly nutritious, but are also intended to be bred and used for building a healthy stock at the household level. The goats are provided directly to women and kept in their name, encouraging increased ownership and control over assets both at the household and community level, where each household gets five goats. It also contributes to women reporting 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Amudat Moroto Nakapiripirit Napak Districts Number of Women Participating in Goat Program/Receiving Goats (2015 Annual Survey) * Only women are targeted for goat distribution Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 12 increased respect in the community, as livestock is a precious commodity and represents a homestead’s wealth. The men feel that the goats do not just benefit the women but the whole household. Some of the men interviewed indicated that they are putting money aside to ensure that if there is a need to buy drugs to care for the goats provided by RWANU, they are able to afford it. The men’s willingness to contribute to the goats’ care demonstrates a strong level of support from their husbands to ensure the success of women’s livestock enterprise. Unfortunately, many of the goats are not doing very well: they are either dying or having miscarriages. This is not unique to the goats provided by RWANU as the indigenous goats are also dying or miscarrying. These problems are due to a lack of access to appropriate animal health drugs and inadequate animal health care knowledge to diagnose and prevent miscarriage or death of the goats. The women respondents are very motivated to ensure that their goats multiply as they are looking forward to an income to support their household needs, including school fees and medical care. Finding 2.4: The ASCA approach has contributed to women’s increased access to cash and credit, but investment and income generation options are limited. The ASCA groups are established from existing producer groups working with RWANU and are given starter kits that consist of lock boxes, passbooks, and associated materials. In these groups the project beneficiaries receive training in savings mobilization, bookkeeping, and business skills. These groups provide female participants with a source of cash for emergency household needs such as medical care. Participants reported that that they have invested their savings into buying seeds for the next farming season, while others use the money to trade in livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. A majority of the groups interviewed, however, loaned the money to individuals who invested in brewing as a business. Finding 2.5: Women’s decisions on credit are strongly determined by male family support (or the lack of). The female respondents who were interviewed indicated that although they have access to credit through ASCA activities, their decision to borrow is based on consultation with their husbands and an assessment of how they can repay the loans. Some of the women interviewed indicated that they consult with their husbands on how the loan will be invested because of the risk of defaulting and the help that they would need from their husbands to make the repayments. A group composed of younger women admitted that women who do not have husbands are risk averse to borrowing because they lack collateral such as livestock. However, another key informant indicated that their savings group includes more female participants because they realized that it is easier to follow up with women to make their repayments and found it difficult to push men to make their repayments. Nonagricultural sources of income where both men and women invest their savings:  Brewing  Casual labor  Village shops  Selling firewood  Selling timber  Selling charcoal Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 13 Domain III: Control Over Use of Income Finding 3.1: Increased consultation around use of income and savings at the household level. Both male and female respondents interviewed indicated that they consult at the household level on decision making on income from agriculture and other sources. Although the crop has not done well in the last season due to poor weather conditions, the household budget from other sources of income is still discussed and agreed on by both men and women. Savings from the ASCA groups set up with support from RWANU have built the participant’s resilience as they are better able to cope with crises. For example, the last season had very poor weather, and those who had savings were able to invest in other nonagricultural activities. Some of the groups interviewed reported that the household money is kept by women, and the discussion on the use of the money is held between the husband and the wife. Sale of farm produce is mostly based on the need to generate income to meet household needs and not necessarily because they have surplus produce. FGD with women from the Arokrok Producer Group in Moroto District. Based on the 2015 annual survey, the majority of household participants reported that decisions regarding child health (89%), how to spend money (98.2%), and buying/selling assets (59%) were either made jointly between husband/wife or by the female head of household. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 14 Christine Chepachikua is a young mother at age 15. However, when asked she says she is 19 years old because it is illegal to be married before 18. She is a member of Alalam Group that received goats in Amudat District.This group of young women were not vocal during the focus group discussion and were very timid in their responses. However, Christine reported that her husband consults her on use of household income. Men from this region were interviewed in a separate focus group, and they confirmed Christine’s response, indicating that they consult their wives on the use of income, even in polygamous households. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 15 Domain IV: Community Leadership Finding 4.1: Women’s leadership participation in FTGs has contributed to increased participation in community leadership. In general, women reported that being a member of a group has given them a great deal of confidence as they realize that their membership entitles them to a vote within the group for any of the decisions. Being in groups has also helped the women realize their right to information, as in these groups they receive information from RWANU and other development partners. The fact that women can be elected into leadership positions in the producer groups has encouraged them to believe that they can play leadership roles. The cultural norm in RWANU communities was that women were expected to speak only when seated or when they are standing far from the men or sitting behind them; however, since participating in RWANU activities, female participants feel that they now have a voice and respect in the community. In one group, the treasurer represented the community at a meeting that was organized by the government to discuss child rights; although men were present at this meeting, she was able to articulate herself. Finding 4.2: Low literacy inhibits women’s participation in community leadership. Both men and women interviewed admitted that the women’s low literacy levels prevent them from taking leadership positions. Leadership positions often entail taking notes during meetings or to keep records of savings. Literacy is also critical for any enterprise such as a block farm or household farm as keeping records and attending trainings require participation through reading and writing. Literacy is important in ensuring that women can refer to notes for anything they have forgotten or even train others. However, there are harmful practices in the communities that discourage female literacy. Some of the male and female respondents interviewed said that they fear that education will harm their daughter’s marriage prospects or that their daughters’ dowry will increase, making her unavailable to most men in her community. Finding 4.3: A lack of confidence inhibits some women’s willingness to participate in activities that require public speaking. Some of the women respondents interviewed also lack confidence to speak in public and represent their community, even though they have been holding a leadership position. In the Pokot community for example, strong cultural biases still prevent women from effectively engaging in different community dialogues and meetings, limiting their ability to fully express their views in public. Whereas to a larger extent women in other communities visited have gained visibility and voice through groups such as demonstration groups, block farm groups, and mother care groups, the women in the Pokot community still face strong cultural biases such as restricted mobility and a lack of confidence to speak in public. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 16 Domain V: Time Allocation Finding 5.1: Participation in FTGs that include attention to workload sharing has positively impacted workload sharing in agricultural production in the community as well as the household. Both male and female respondents reported an increase in the sharing of the workload around agricultural production. RWANU’s interventions through the FTGs, such as the FaaB training, include training on workload distribution, budgeting, and time management. Both males and females report that, as a result of these trainings, the farmers now sit down and agree on what needs to be done and share the workload at the block farm. The male and female respondents indicated that this is also done at the household level, where the husbands and wives sit down and share the workload for the farm. The WEAI Impact Assessment team was able to observe this in the farms as they drove through the counties where the projects beneficiaries are. The team could see husbands and wives working together in the farms. A majority of the men interviewed admitted that previously they left the bulk of food production to the women in the family, as they considered themselves pastoralists. Now, they do not have as many cows due to factors beyond RWANU’s scope, stating that they are actively participating in agricultural production because they understand the economic benefits to the household. The majority of the female respondents interviewed stated that they welcome the workload sharing on the farm as this enables them to free up time for their other domestic and productive duties. In the course of conducting the study, the research team observed and talked to some men who are not beneficiaries of RWANU but who were sitting or lying under the shade of trees, saying they are idle as they have no cows. However, amongst the communities where RWANU is working, and that were visited by the study team, the team observed transformed communities where workloads are shared between men and women both at the farm as well as with child care, fetching water, or other household chores. The research team found a difference in the workload sharing in Karita subcounty. The decision-making process for agricultural production was still consultative, where both men and women in one household sit down and agree on what should be done. However, in Karita, participants reported that after the decisions are made, the division of labor remains divided by gender: men mostly help with the procurement of inputs, after which the wives have free reign of the farm while the men take care of the livestock. Even polygamous households conduct a consultative decision-making process to determine how they will share the farming workload. In polygamous households, the labor is shared by the whole “RWANU has helped us so much because the laziness of men is no longer there. Now we do all production together, including clearing, cultivating, weeding, and harvesting.” Betty, member of Lokatukoi Etata Obara Producer Group Karamojong are traditionally pastoralists – a social and economic system based on livestock. This lifestyle includes mobility in search of water and pasture. However, due to historical conflicts caused by cattle raids going even beyond the Uganda borders, the government disarmed the communities and put the military in place to provide security. Mobility is also restricted due to the communities being expelled from game reserves and protected forests. All of the above factors have contributed to an inability of the Karamojong to sustain their livestock. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 17 household, but the activities start at the first wife’s farm where the whole household provides their labor, then move on to the next wife’s farm, and so on. Finding 5.2 Caretaking remains primarily a female responsibility, but increased agriculture and household workload sharing has resulted in small increases in male participation in caretaking. Women reported feeling less overburdened as a result of men and women sharing the workload both at the farm as well as in the household. Caretaking remains primarily a female responsibility, and in many of the homes, girl children still play a key role in helping their mothers with the workload at home, which may require staying home from school to care for the smallest children. However, some of the men interviewed said that they help with child care if their wives are busy with some other activity. One man shared how before RWANU trainings, he would hear the child crying, and it would not occur to him that he could help with child care. One man said that he gave his wife money for grinding so that she can save the time it takes her to grind. Grinding is one of the most time-consuming activities in food preparation in this community. Several men admitted that they sometimes use their bicycles to fetch water for their wives because the well is far from their homesteads. The fact that these men are sharing in the domestic tasks traditionally done by women indicates a shift from leaving all the domestic tasks to women. Finding 5.3 Women’s leisure time has somewhat increased. Men’s leisure activities in the study areas are defined by participants as resting under the trees, drinking, socializing at the market center, or listening to the radio. However, even as households increase workload sharing, women’s time is not directed toward leisure. Leisure time for women was defined by both male and female study participants as when they are doing “light” domestic tasks such as food preparation or bead work. There remains community and cultural resistance to women’s access to free time or time that is not engaged for the benefit of her household or family. “RWANU has helped the men see the benefits of sharing the work load.” -- Paul, chairman and key informant Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 18 RWANU’s Gender Specialist Jennifer Lorika demonstrates grinding sorghum, one of the staples of the Karamojong. This food preparation activity is time consuming, and most women perform this task at least once a day. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 19 RECOMMENDATIONS Domain I: Production Decision Making The FEWs should continue to target and include women farmers in training through the following ways:  Combine both men and women when sensitizing and training on household issues such as the benefits of shared household decision making and control of productive assets  Announce publicly that they want both women and men to attend the trainings  Encourage men to bring their wives or other women in the household to trainings  If culturally inappropriate for women and men to be trained together, such as in the Karita subcounty, the FEWs should establish separate spaces for training women  Increase the number of FEWs on staff in order to promote gender balance among FEWs in alignment with the RWANU gender strategy. Promoting gender balance among FEWs not only gives a voice to men and women at different levels within the program, but it also demonstrates to the communities where it works that RWANU is committed to gender equality in its operations as well as its programming. Domain II: Access to Productive Resources The gender specialist should work with the FEWs to continue awareness-raising activities on the importance of shared household decision making related to access and control of land and other productive resources as this has been seen to be working and should be scaled up. The gender specialist should work with the ASCA team to ensure that they offer business training and support for the development of income-generating activities to ASCAs, particularly targeted toward women. Many women lack opportunities to generate income, which creates a gap in women’s ability to repay loans. These women would benefit from assistance in identifying new business opportunities. Although RWANU would need to conduct an assessment of market opportunities and demand, suggested business opportunities include focusing on value addition of agricultural products such as the drying of indigenous vegetables or supplementing milled sorghum flour with other highly nutritious elements. It will be important when assessing income-generating opportunities for women that opportunities are not limited to those that are considered traditional women’s roles. It is recommended that the program identify business investment options that are able to compete with brewing. In addition to concerns about nutrition and care-taking impacts, gender-based violence was also identified as a risk related to excessive alcohol intake, particularly within communities that invest heavily in brewing. Although gender-based violence was not part of the design of the WEAI Impact Assessment, focus group participants reported on the relationship between increased violence, brewing, and alcohol abuse when responding to questions about income and investments. The gender specialist should work with the business specialists to strengthen the training provided to the ASCAs to ensure that they present business cases for other viable business options, other than brewing, as well as promote the business case against GBV. Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 20 The gender specialist should develop messaging and work with health promoters to pass on health messages related to the negative impacts of alcohol abuse. Due to the high level of mortality and miscarriage in goats, there is a need to carry out an assessment to determine the best course of action. The gender specialist and the livestock lead should coordinate on the assessment to better understand the underlying causes of the goats’ underperformance and provide additional recommendations. Domain III: Control Over Use of Income RWANU should continue to link women farmers and groups to formal markets and put in place structures to help them maintain control over their income. One way to do this is to use outgrower schemes through irrigation, where contracts are drawn up in the women’s names and negotiated by women trained by RWANU on their rights as well as leadership skills and business management skills. These types of contracts will ensure that women have control of the income. Brewing Ekwete is referred to as food (particularly the residue, adakai) and is traditionally consumed within the household for ceremonies and to support work groups. It was only commercialized recently in the 1980s, according to FGD participants, and around 2000, according to Dancause et al (2010). Brewing is described as a way that people have survived hunger and is reported to comprise between 12 percent and 29 percent of children’s diets in the hunger period (Stites and Mitchard, 2011). It is not necessarily the case that the granary is gradually emptied to make ekwete for sale, and some of the profits are usually used to buy grain for the next batch as well as pay back any start￾up capital. Profits are also used for food, education-related costs, medical expenses, clothes and household items, tools and other small investments that women make. The residue is valued by women, for example, in Matany where the women will acquire the ingredients on credit and then return the cash profits to the shop owner, leaving for her only the residue as profit. There are two main areas of concern around brewing. The first is that consumption of alcohol will have a negative impact on the mental and physical development of infants and children, either when pregnant and lactating women consume it or if children consume it (which has been widely observed; see, for example, Stites and Mitchard, 2011 and Dancause et al, 2010). The second area of concern is related to the effects of drunkenness on caregiving and family well-being. The barrier analysis for SO2 found that the barrier to women cooking an evening meal was that they were too drunk. In the gender analysis, when describing the ideal woman in Iriiri, the men said “…some women drink a lot of alcohol and when they are drunk, they don’t cook great food…” By increasing production, RWANU will make more grain available for brewing and by promoting ASCA, will create further motivation for women to brew. The RWANU team recognizes that they need to have a common position on brewing so that the benefits of SO1 do not undermine the achievement of SO2. This position needs to be reached in a sensitive way to ensure that women are not blamed for engaging in an important activity that helps them in their role of ensuring household food security. From the 2013 RWANU Gender Analysis Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 21 The gender specialist should work with the FaaB team to use FaaB to explicitly train men and women on joint financial decisions and encourage budgeting together at the household level. The gender specialist should work with the FaaB teams to ensure that farmers are having intra-household discussions on budgeting as well as support the teams to provide training on enabling the farmers to record household budgets. The FaaB teams should report on this activity in their monthly reports. The gender specialist should work with the SBC team to design and disseminate behavior change messages for households on the benefits of working together and household-wide benefits from agricultural income. These messages can be passed to the communities at block farms and other agricultural training events such as field days. Some of the messages can focus on other sources of income from agriculture, as explained above. Domain IV: Community Leadership Although literacy training is not currently within the scope of the RWANU project, the lack of literacy skills is an important element inhibiting women’s progress in community leadership. To support women’s access to literacy, RWANU should seek to partner with an agency or organization that promotes adult literacy and can provide training in this skill, especially for women. These trainings may be offered in coordination with other RWANU activities. The gender specialist should identify and approach such organizations within the project geography and link them to the FTGs. RWANU staff should encourage and promote education and its benefits to the communities with an emphasis on education for girls. The gender specialist should work with the FEWs to conduct awareness campaigns at the FTGs on the benefits of having women in decision-making positions at the community level. Although there has been an increase in the number of women in leadership positions since RWANU started, the campaigns will enable the project to scale this up in the remaining life of the project. The gender specialist should develop training material designed to encourage women to participate in other social and political assemblies at the village level and to learn how to raise their concerns. Trainings should be delivered to FTGs. In addition, the gender specialist should also develop training material and work with RWANU staff to encourage male opinion leaders to support women’s participation in village assemblies and other community meetings. The RWANU program should continue to create opportunities for women to speak in public at events such as conferences, fairs, International Women’s Day, site visits by political leaders, etc. Domain V: Time Allocation RWANU should continue to capitalize on the gains it has made in reducing women’s time burdens and increasing men’s participation in household and caretaking tasks. The project should continue to promote access to leisure time and prevent overburdening women while being careful not to go against the culture of the community. This can be done through the following approaches: There are a number of examples of effective approaches to address the lack of literacy skills in Karamoja. Functional Adult Literacy (FAL) programs are common across the region, and Concern uses FAL alongside vocational skills training to help trainees in recordkeeping and, for example, taking measurements for tailoring students. -- From the 2013 Gender Analysis Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 22  Behavior change campaigns championed by the gender specialist in collaboration with the SBC team designed to encourage more positive involvement of men in household and caretaking tasks  Promoting the use of existing mechanisms through which women spend time in leisure activities in culturally acceptable ways. For example, the gender specialist can encourage women to get together monthly for some cultural celebrations that can be combined with theme-based discussions around health and nutrition The RWANU team should identify and introduce additional labor saving technologies, such as those launched at the U.N. Sharefair on Rural Women’s Technologies for Productive Family Farming in Nairobi in October 2014. For example, the project could introduce energy saving stoves, as these would save women the time they spend fetching firewood as well as reduce the negative impact on the environment. The gender specialist could work with relevant partners to ensure that women are trained in the use of stoves, which would not only be used at the household level but could also serve as an income-generating activity if women promoted and sold this technology in their communities. Such technologies can be disseminated in the following ways:  Through partnerships with the private sector to encourage research, development, and piloting of suitable technologies  Showcasing new technologies through demonstration plots and block farms Through the annual survey, the M&E team will collect data on time allocation for productive and domestic tasks in order to have data on the use of women’s time on paid and unpaid work. Recommendations and Further Guidance for the RWANU Gender Strategy  The gender specialist should provide technical support to the FEWs to conduct a task analysis at the startup of groups and annually when FEWs facilitate and follow up decision making within groups. A task analysis looks at the gender roles at both the household as well as at the farm level in order for the communities to better understand how overburdened the women are. Through this exercise, the FTG members can also understand that roles can be shared more equitably as both men and women are able to do most tasks. This will promote more equitable sharing of workload as well as promote an enabling environment for women to influence decision making with RWANU groups. Data from these task analyses can also be included in the annual survey, where the program can track the percentage of women ages 15-49 currently living with a man who report that they make decisions either individually or jointly with men regarding seeking health services for their children, how to spend the money she has earned, and how to use productive assets.  The SBC team should collaborate with the gender specialist to incorporate gender messages into SBCs for SO2 as appropriate, and male change agents should receive gender training. This will promote more involvement of men in household nutrition. This should be done through the use of pictures, stories, and discussion guides with support from the SBC specialist as well as the D.C.-based social and behavior change specialist.  RWANU should conduct a biannual gender review and training session for all field teams where appropriate. This will enable the gender specialist to build the capacity of teams where needed as well as address challenges in a timely manner. These trainings will be based on building the capacity of FEWs to continue promoting an enabling environment both at the household level as Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 23 well as at the community level for women’s empowerment and gender equality. The content of training materials will be developed based on an understanding of the needs of communities and any gaps identified in the gender review. The HQ gender team will work with the gender specialist to develop a tool for this quarterly review.  In their reporting, RWANU staff should include the following:  Stories of men’s involvement in household food security  Stories of women’s leadership  Stories of women’s economic empowerment Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 24 ANNEX Annex 1: Focus Group Discussion Guide RWANU Focus Group Discussion: Interview Guide Gender Empowerment Assessment Date: _____________ Venue: ________________ Producer Group Name: _____________ District: ______________ Subcounty: _____________ Moderator: ______________________ DOMAIN 1: DECISION MAKING OVER PRODUCTION Let’s discuss how decisions are made regarding food and cash-crop farming, livestock, and fisheries and autonomy in agricultural production. a) What has RWANU done/not done to ensure men and women’s greater access to agricultural/vet extension and advisory services? b) What did you learn from RWANU gender sensitization trainings on promoting women’s decision making over production? (Probe for joint decision making at the household level for attending trainings, purchasing inputs, etc.) c) How has RWANU’s training made women better in decision making over production? (Get examples) DOMAIN 2: ACCESS TO PRODUCTIVE RESOURCES Now I want us to discuss ownership of, access to, and decision-making power related to productive resources such as land, livestock, agricultural equipment, consumer durables, and credit. a) How did RWANU improve women's access to and control over land for agriculture? b) How did RWANU increase women’s access to credit? (Probe especially for the savings groups about how the members use the savings, how they invest the money) c) How did the provision of goats to selected women assist them in jumpstarting asset ownership? (Probe especially for the goat groups and get examples) d) How has the work of RWANU improved women’s access to resources through market linkages? How were female farmers connected to markets as a result of participation in the RWANU program? e) What did RWANU do to strengthen women’s access to information and women’s rights to productive resources? Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 25 DOMAIN 3: CONTROL OVER USE OF INCOME Now let’s discuss sole or joint control over income and expenditures. Talking specifically, about control over the use of income. a) How did RWANU interventions empower both women and men with business and market skills? b) What messages have you received from RWANU to promote more equitable decision making at the household level? How are you sharing the income from enterprises that have been strengthened by RWANU? DOMAIN 4: COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP Let’s discuss your membership in economic or social groups and comfort with speaking in public. a. In your view, how has active participation or memberships in producer groups increased women’s voices in the community? b. How has RWANU supported women to develop the ability to take on leadership roles? (Probe for block farms, apiary groups) DOMAIN 5: TIME ALLOCATION Lastly, let’s discuss the allocation of time to productive and domestic tasks and satisfaction with the available time for leisure activities. a) In your view, how has workload sharing changed as a result of RWANU activities? (Probe for sharing of household workload and sharing of workload to free up time for attending RWANU meetings; use daily calendar) Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) Impact Assessment Report 26 Annex 2: Key Informant Interview Guide 1. Have you noticed any positive or negative changes among community members in your village/subcounty since RWANU started? (Probe for attitude toward women receiving food rations, adoption of training technologies, sharing of household work load, etc.) 2. To which specific project activities do you attribute these changes? (Good Agronomic Practices training, Apiary farming, NRM Adoption, Livestock keeping, etc.) 3. Do you think both men and women are benefitting from RWANU activities? (Probe: Is the program targeting both men and women? Give examples) 4. Do both men and women participate in program activities? (Probe for whether both men and women participate in productive work, who attends training, etc.) 5. Are there challenges faced by women in accessing land for their farming activities? (Probe: Are women co-owners of land, and do they have decision-making power over use of land?)