Improving Women Farmers' Access to Extension Services

In order to improve women's access to agriculture research and extension services we should first analyze women and men's participation in agriculture and their role in the household. Even though, in most developing countries, women's agriculture contribution is substantial, men remain the focal point of attention for policy-makers and extension services. Gender-analysis allows us to recognize the complexities of the social realities, which also include female-headed households, and a heterogeneous group of "rural women". There are constraints and opportunities for rural women and extension. The constraints include the legal and cultural status of women, and a male bias in the way agricultural services are designed and managed. To ensure a more effective system for rural women, the authors recommend, more gender-sensitive programs, gender disaggregated data, increased rural women's participation, equal access to resources and extension services, and situation-specific strategies.