Gender, Markets and Women's Empowerment in the Sahel Region
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ighting Hunger Worldwide F Gender, Markets and Women’s Empowerment in the Sahel Region: A Comparative Analysis of Mali, Niger, and Chad VAM Gender and Markets Study #4 2016-2017 The Zero Hunger Challenge emphasizes the importance of strengthening economic empowerment in support of the Sustainable Development Goal 2 to double small-scale producer incomes and productivity. The increasing focus on resilient markets can bring important contributions to sustainable food systems and build resilience. Participation in market systems is not only a means for people to secure their livelihood, but it also enables them to exercise agency, maintain dignity, build social capital and increase self- worth. Food security analysis must take into account questions of gender-based violence and discrimination in order to deliver well-tailored assistance to those most in need. WFP’s Nutrition Policy (2017-2021) reconfirms that gender equality and women’s empowerment are essential to achieve good nutrition and sustainable and resilient livelihoods, which are based on human rights and justice. This is why gender-sensitive analysis in nutrition programmes is a crucial contribution to achieving the SDGs. The VAM Gender & Markets Initiative of the WFP Regional Bureau for West and Central Africa seeks to strengthen WFP and partners’ commitment, accountability and capacities for gender- sensitive food security and nutrition analysis in order to design market-based interventions that empower women and vulnerable populations. The series of regional VAMTable Gender of and Contents Markets Studies is an effort to build the evidence base and establish a link to SDG 5 which seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. ________ All rights reserved in all countries English edition, 2016-2017 Copyright © World Food Programme Bureau Regional Dakar Authors: Tara Deubel, PhD and Micah Boyer University of South Florida Department of Anthropology Tampa, Florida Edited by: William Ndiaye For more information contact: World Food Programme Simon Renk (Regional Markets Advisor): [email protected] Desiree Lwambo (VAM Gender Specialist): [email protected] 2 Table of Contents List of Acronyms ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. 5 Executive summary .................................................................................................................................. 6 1. Mali................................................................................................................................................. 6 2. Niger ............................................................................................................................................... 8 3. Chad ............................................................................................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 13 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 13 1. MALI CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................................. 16 1.1 Village and household organization ............................................................................................ 16 1.2 Women in the household ............................................................................................................ 16 1.3 Livelihood strategies ................................................................................................................... 19 1.4 Migration as a livelihood strategy ............................................................................................... 20 1.5 Land tenure ................................................................................................................................. 21 1.6 Programs in context .................................................................................................................... 21 2. NIGER CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 28 2.1 Life before WFP programs ........................................................................................................... 28 2.2 Livelihood strategies ................................................................................................................... 28 2.3 Male migration as livelihood strategy ......................................................................................... 29 2.4 Women’s migration as livelihood strategy ................................................................................. 30 2.5 Market access and constraints to women’s participation .......................................................... 31 2.6 Programs in context .................................................................................................................... 33 3. CHAD CASE STUDY ............................................................................................................................ 40 3.1 Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................. 40 3.2 Women’s possessions and rights within the household ............................................................. 42 3.3 Livelihood strategies ................................................................................................................... 43 3.4 Pastoralist strategies ................................................................................................................... 46 3.5 Programs in context .................................................................................................................... 46 4. RECOMMENDATIONS AND DISCUSSION ........................................................................................... 51 4.1 Recommendations ...................................................................................................................... 51 4.2 Discussion. ................................................................................................................................... 57 4.3 Reflections on WEAI .................................................................................................................... 61 Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................... 65 ANNEX .................................................................................................................................................... 67 Annex I – Literature Review of Empowerment ................................................................................. 67 Annex II – Country backgrounds and site selections ......................................................................... 72 Appendix A: Data collection instruments (selected) ............................................................................. 81 3 List of Acronyms ALIMA : Alliance for International Medical Action AMASSA : Malian Association for Food Security and Sovereignty AMCP : Malian Alliance against Malaria CEMAC : Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa CFA : Cash Assistance for Assets CSCOM : Community Health Centre CT : Cash transfer DEF : Fundamental Studies Diploma FFA : Food Assistance for Assets FO : Farmers’ Organizations GEM : Gender Empowerment Measure HEA : Household Economy Approach IMF : International Monetary Fund LASDEL : Labouratory for Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development MAM : Moderate Acute Malnutrition MDG : Millennium Development Goals NGO : Non-Governmental Organization ONAPE : National Office for Employment Promotion P4P : Purchase for Progress PLA : Participatory Learning and Action PPA : Participatory Poverty Assessment PRA : Participatory Rural Appraisal PRASAC : Regional Axis for Applied Research in the Development of Central African Agricultural Systems PRRO : Protracted Relief and Recovery Operations SAM : Severe Acute Malnutrition SAP : Structural Adjustment Program SECADEF : Catholic Aid and Development UNDP : United Nations Development Programme UNPL : National Union of Local Producers VAM : Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping Unit WEAI : Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index WFP : World Food Programme XAF : Franc CFA (Central Africa) XOF : Franc CFA (West Africa) 4 Acknowledgements The consultants would like to thank all of the many people who supported us in the field. Both WFP personnel and the staff of partner organizations gave freely of their time and experience in the design and implementation of this research, often with very little advance notice. This report has also benefited from debriefings given in each country in which WFP personnel gave valuable feedback. The consultants would also like to thank the members of the research teams hired in each of the three countries, who performed above and beyond our expectations under what were often very physically challenging conditions. The strength and validity of the data presented here