Women, men, and market gardens: Gender relations and income generation in rural Mali

Rural African populations have been increasing their participation in market-production activities. Nevertheless ethnicity, age, class, and gender play an important role defining the types of market production participation. This paper is the result of an ethnographic study focusing on the dynamics of gender relation and commercial activities in a rural Bamana farming community. Results indicate gender-biases related to access to commercially viable resources. This affects women's economic standing and social power. Women have limited access to land, time, and labour, which are key factors to provide effective income generating activities such as market gardening.