Gender and agricultural livelihoods: Strengthening governance

This is a module in the "Gender in Agriculture Sourcebook" published by the World Bank, UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development. This module examines the necessity for good governance and gender sensitivity within agricultural practices and institutions. While efforts to reform are taking place in the public sector, rural areas and specifically rural women still face barriers in representing their interests effectively. Methods to achieve good governance include quality agricultural policies, inputs and support; transparency and minimized corruption; and the existence of a just legal system. This issue is expanded upon in the following Thematic Notes: Gender in Policy-Making Processes; Institutionalizing Gender in the Agriculture Sector; Decentralization and Community-Driven Development; and Gender, Self-Help Groups, and Farmer Organizations in the Agricultural Sector. Specific cases from Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Cote d'Ivoire, and Sri Lanka are also examined.