ASSESSING WOMENS EMPOWERMENT AMONG RICE FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN BANGLADESH, EASTERN INDIA, AND NEPAL

M. L. Malabayabas1, T. Paris2, D.Gauchan3, and M. Bool-Emerick4

1Assistant 4

scientist (m.malabayabas@cgiar.org); 2 Senior scientist II - gender specialist (t.paris@cgiar.org); 3 former postdoctoral fellow; and former associate scientist, Social Sciences Division, International Rice Research Institute, Los Baos, Philippines

Rice is one of the major crops grown in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal. Most of these areas are rainfed and prone to abiotic stresses such as drought, flood, and salinity. Farms are typically small and are entirely dependent on family members, especially the women, to meet their labor requirements for crop and livestock production. However, abiotic stresses lead to low yields, food insecurity, and debts, forcing other members, particularly the male members to migrate and earn nonfarm income. Many studies have examined the effect of environmental stresses on crop productivity. However, very few studies have looked into the relationship between womens labor participation and empowerment in key farm-household and family-related decisions-making.

OBJECTIVE
This study aims to assess womens empowerment in making farm-related and family-welfare decisions among rice farming households in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal.

HYPOTHESIS
Women from poor households, particularly in rainfed areas, have high labor participation in rice farming enabling them to be more empowered in making farm-household and familyrelated decisions.

METHODOLOGY
A household survey was conducted among 1,908 households in 19 stress-prone sites over 60 villages of Bangladesh, eastern India (Assam, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and West Bengal), and Nepal during crop year 2008-09. The Women Empowerment Index (WEI) was computed using16 gender-related indicators (Hossain et al, 2004 and Paris et al, 2008).

Gender Analysis Womens empowerment tended be high in Nepal with an overall WEI of 2.76 (see table below) as compared to Bangladesh and eastern India which suggests that decisions are made jointly by husband and wife. This is due to womens labor participation and the absence of men due to migration for longer period. Women in Bangladesh were more empowered than those in eastern India which has an overall WEI of 2.13. This can be attributed to the influence of NGOs that empower poor women in Bangladesh through micro-credit schemes, which also address nutrition, health, education and family planning issues. Among the three locations, women in eastern India were less empowered which only has an overall WEI of 1.25 which suggests that decisions were made solely by the husbands. Despite of their labor contributions to rice production, there is still high gender disparity in terms of access to and control of assets and resources.
Women empowerment index (WEI) in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal.

RESULTS
Agriculture, particularly rice farming was the primary occupation. Of the total labor inputs in rice production per hectare, women in Nepal have the highest contribution (54%), followed by eastern India (29%) and Bangladesh (19%).Due to social norms, womens agricultural work was restricted within their homesteads. However, in Nepal and eastern India the share of rice to total household income was lower than non-farm income (Fig. 1).

Nepal Locations
Non-farm Farm/off-farm/sale animals Non-rice Rice

Decision-making

Bangladesh

Eastern India

Nepal

Eastern India

What rice variety (ies) to grow Who and how many farm laborers to hire Whether to sell/ consume harvested crop Quantity of output to sell and consume When and where to sell the harvested crop What price at which to sell the output What farm implement to purchase Whether to slaughter or sell animal Adopt a technology in rice production Allocation of farm income Allocation of household income Types of food to consume in times of crises Childrens education Where to borrow (cash or food)
Male

1.64 1.59 1.68 1.81 1.70 1.48 1.68 2.24 1.58 2.15 2.78 3.31 2.68 2.40 2.62 2.74 2.13

1.27 1.25 1.45 1.54 1.27 1.19 1.19 1.69 1.33 1.65 2.77 2.37 1.58 1.87 1.94 1.27 1.25

2.77 2.95 2.88 2.92 2.67 2.68 2.41 2.74 2.58 2.75 2.84 3.18 2.63 2.45 2.74 2.91 2.76

Bangladesh 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Percentage of income

Fig.1. Different sources of income in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal.

Men had more opportunities to engage in non-farm jobs than women (Fig. 2). Remittances from migration to other countries were considered the most important source of non-farm income in Nepal (Fig. 3).
100 Percentage of income 80 60 40 20 0 Bangladesh Eastern India Location Nepal Female Both

Participation in voting/politics Number of children to raise Overall WEI

1 = if decisions are made by the husband; 2= if decisions are made by the husband even if the wife is present; 3 = decisions jointly made by husband and wife; 4 = if decisions are made by the wife even if the husband is present; 5 = if decisions are made by the wife.

CONCLUSIONS
Among poor rice farming households, women will continue to play critical roles in supplying farm labor and ensuring food security, particularly during times of stress caused by drought, flood, and salinity. Moreover, with male migration, the women left behind will be compelled to make farm-related and household related decisions. Thus, more efforts should be done by national agricultural research and extension programs to empower women by providing them adequate technical knowledge and skills to enable them to be efficient farmers, and more importantly as better farm managers. Consequently, farming households can better cope with environmental stresses and have greater opportunities to improve their livelihoods.

Fig. 2. Major noncrop income earners in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal.

Small-scale Nepal Remittance Pension Others India Fruits Forestry Bangladesh Fishing Business Salary 0 10 20 30 Percentage of income 40 50 60

REFERENCES
Hossain M, Bose ML, Ahmad A. 2004. Nature and impact of womens participation in economic activities in rural Bangladesh: insights from household surveys. CPD-IRRI Policy Brief 7. Dhaka, Bangladesh:IRRI. Paris T, Singh A, Cueno A, Singh VL. 2008. Assessing the impact of participatory research in rice breeding on women farmers: a case study in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Expl.Agric. 44:97-112.

Fig. 3. Different sources of male non-farm income in Bangladesh, eastern India, and Nepal.