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Institut für Tropische Agrarwissenschaften (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institut)

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Browsing Institut für Tropische Agrarwissenschaften (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institut) by Person "Basauri Bryan, Elizabeth"

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    Small-scale irrigation and womens empowerment : lessons from an irrigation intervention in Northern Ghana
    (2022) Basauri Bryan, Elizabeth; Zeller, Manfred
    This dissertation uses a mixed-methods approach to explore issues related to women’s empowerment and small-scale irrigation from several different angles: conceptually, based on a literature review, qualitatively and quantitatively, based on a case study in Northern Ghana, and qualitatively, as part of a larger effort of development organizations to promote adaptation to climate change. The analysis relies on a conceptual framework that illustrates the linkages between small-scale irrigation and the domains of women’s empowerment as well as the broader opportunity structure shaping these relationships. It then uses qualitative and quantitative data from the case study area to identify what aspects of women’s empowerment are salient in this context and how the irrigation intervention influences outcomes for women. Finally, the dissertation draws lessons from a capacity needs assessment of development organizations to identify areas for strengthening the delivery of gender-sensitive programs. Thus, the main research questions addressed by this dissertation are: 1) What are the linkages between small-scale irrigation technologies/systems and dimensions of women’s empowerment? 2) What aspects of women’s empowerment emerge as the most salient in the context of Northern Ghana where small scale irrigation is practiced and modern technologies (motor pumps) are being introduced? 3) How does the introduction of small-scale irrigation technologies (specifically motor pumps) affect indicators of women’s empowerment? 4) What are the gender-related capacity needs of development organizations working to promote climate change adaptation (of which small-scale irrigation is an important practice)? The findings in this dissertation suggest that there are many factors to consider in the design and dissemination of small-scale irrigation technologies to ensure that these are equitably distributed and that both men and women have the opportunity to engage in and benefit from irrigation. These include gendered preferences for the type of irrigation technology or system, the underlying socio-political environment shaping the barriers that men and women face, and implementation approaches. Moving beyond simply reaching women (that is, counting their participation in program activities) to benefitting and empowering women (increasing their well-being outcomes and expanding their ability to make strategic life decisions) requires knowledge of the local context and dedicated attention toward ensuring that outcomes for women are achieved, even if this means expanding activities and opportunities outside of agriculture. Thus, greater efforts are also needed to build the capacity of implementing organizations to deliver gender-responsive programs. Creating platforms, like stakeholder consultation processes or dialogues, for setting goals and sharing information, approaches, and lessons learned is one way to build this capacity. Integrating gender-sensitive research tools into strategy development, project design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of implementing agencies would also support the development of more gender-responsive irrigation interventions and would contribute to fill remaining research gaps on the gendered implications of alternative agricultural technologies and practices. While this dissertation provides some evidence on the impacts of motor pumps for small-scale irrigation on women’s empowerment, this is only one of many types of irrigation technologies and approaches. More research is needed on the implications for women’s empowerment of alternative irrigation technologies, systems, and dissemination tactics, including group-based and service-based approaches.