Exploring the potential of household approach in enhancing women participation in farm decisions making processes in Mzimba North, Malawi

Abstract

Against the background of a continued low participation of women in farm decision making processes, Household Approach, the gender-transformative participatory extension, was adopted, adapted, piloted and up-scaled in a number of districts in Malawi including Mzimba North to enhance women participation in farm decision making processes among other reasons. This study aimed at exploring the potential of Household Approach in enhancing women participation in farm decision making processes. Informed by a pragmatic philosophical underpinning and a mixed method research design, this study was guided by feministic theoretical framework and participatory tenets. Individual interviews and photo voice were the main methods of data generation. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic approach and quantitative data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Local facilitators had average knowledge in Household Approach with a mean score of 54.73 (SD 7.92) and a range of 41-67%. Household Approach is implemented through agriculture cooperatives and model villages. Women took joint decisions in all farm decision making processes with a higher participation score in household visioning (0.91) compared to men (0.83) and youth (0.44). Unveiled through photo voice, factors that facilitate participation in farm decision making include: availability of resources, time, markets and records, knowledge in Household Approach, health status, food security status, stability of homes, sharing of benefits, potential enterprise benefits and distance to farms. In conclusion, inclusion, equity, sharing, transparency and accountability participatory values incorporated in the Household Approach, addressed most factors limiting women participation in farm decision making process thereby enhancing their participation in most farm decision making processes. However, this study recommends a multi-sectoral approach to the implementation of Household Approach to share implementation costs