This document summarizes a study on the relationship between rice enterprise development, women's empowerment, and gender equity in Uganda. The study found that rice enterprises can empower women by increasing their incomes and decision-making power, but they may also reinforce gender inequalities. Success depended on existing social, economic, and cultural factors. The study recommends that interventions to promote gender equity through agro-enterprise development should be informed by an understanding of local contextual factors like social norms and power relations, and continuously assess these factors and program impacts to influence relevant policies.

1. Dr. Thelma Akongo
National Agricultural Research
Organisation,
Uganda Kampala

2. Overview
1
Introduction
2
Study focus - conceptualization
3
Results
4
Recommendations

3. Introduction
 Gender equity and food insecurity-emerging priority concerns:
 Efforts to improve agricultural production/ increase food security -
undermined by gender inequalities- to date.
 A rising concerns – Questions
 Current government initiatives to promote of agro-enterprises - for
income generation, to empower women and achieve greater gender
equity ---will succeed,
 Existing complexities and nature of inequalities existing within the
agricultural sector.

4. Focus of study
The extent to which rice -enterprise development can be used to empower women,
promote gender equity
Focusing mainly on-the relationship between rice -enterprise development,
women empowerment and gender equity.
Main objective of the study:
To gather insights and perceptions on critical issues to consider in ensuring effective
women empowerment through agro-enterprise development interventions
Specific objectives were;
Establish the various gender (in)equity concerns (social, economic and biophysical)
along the rice value chain.
Determine the extent to which gender equity is influencing rice-enterprise
development
Determine the extent to which rice-enterprise development is influencing gender
equity
Document the implications of these findings for policies related to women
empowerment through rice enterprise development.
Recommend / develop strategic interventions that effectively address gender concerns
in rural communities

5. Rice enterprise development- women
empowerment –gender equity
• the ability of women to take charge of their
lives- income/improve food security
promoting household gender equity
achieved,
However, instances were rice enterprise
development initiatives are achieving their
intended purposes- opposite of the above
• Then household inequities are being
reinforced.
Women
Empowerment
Investigations /analysis
• How the current state of gender equity
described by prevailing social, economic
and biophysical concerns are influencing
women’s ability to effectively engage in
rice agro-enterprise development
• How rice -enterprises/ development
initiatives are influencing gender equity.
Insights and perceptions generated from the study :
•Basis for analysis –
•Generate recommendations /strategies for the promotion of effective women empowerment and
rice-enterprise development interventions.
Gender
Equity

6. 
Respondents – Groups /Associations - engaging in rice production, processing and
marketing…

Producers, processors/millers, whole sellers/produce dealers, retailers, middle men.

Key informants- Government officials, L.Cs , village elders, councilors, Market authorities

Individual rice farming households (male and female headed)

Categories of enterprises- (Successful/un- successful)

Poverty levels – (Rich and poor)
 Defined and selected by group members and agricultural officers/
 Snow blowing – identification of individual respondents

Data – Qualitative –insights /perceptions

Data collection Methods – Key informants/ Household Interviews, Focus group discussions ,
observations and document reviews.

Data analysis –content review / NVIVO -qualitative data analysis .

7. 




Land –
 Low awareness, lack of rights– no
command/control over rice enterprise , poor
soils, climatic conditions –drought and floods/
diseases
Limited use and access to agricultural research and
advisory services (research -technologies/
information)
 Lack awareness -knowledge and skill, incomes
low to purchase equipment esp. postharvest
processing rice equipment, limited engagementcapacity building interventions
Food insecurity Poor health , low income / limited decision
making ability , Domestic violence , lack of
credit , labour shortage
Women’s limited decision making Joint enterprises, land for production of rice,
management of the enterprises, use of rice
inputs, marketing of the output
Marketing –

low production/market supply, farm gate sales,
taxes, lack of information and proper marketing
channels

Co-ownership of the process
 Costs of membership /poor household s

Gender divisions of labour
 Multiple roles /workload

Credit delivery mechanisms
 Still not favorable for most women /assets,
mobility, loan procedures cumbersome

Target clientele Services favorable to those with some
capital assets – the very poor rice farmers
are left out

Education- limited- general concern
Observations

General concerns but being reinforced by
multiple issues

Concerns complex often arising form one issue
leading/building up into another .

8. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Land right interventions - social structures
put in place are challenged, bribery, lack of
education -conflicts
Training services and modes of
implementation- favor-those with assets,
mobility timing, participation
Agricultural technologies and informationGender insensitive /access-ICTs
Marketing and marketing strategy, conditions – mobility , taxes, dues
Gender awareness and land sensitization
programmes- conflicts and domestic
violence- power issues
Rice-enterprise benefits- skewed towards
those with control, theft, domestic violence ,
divorce
Credit and credit delivery mechanisms conflicts on land and income, labour shortage
Women and leadership positions- not allowed
to exercise their authority
Power issues within households and
communities- influence on decisions ,
ownership , mobility , engagement , etc
Benefits from enterprise -change in
ownership of enterprise – loss of controlhence loss of benefits from the enterprise
Structure elements : norms,
values and beliefs and
inability of men to provide
for their families due to
poverty –expressed in
terms of power over
(common between widows and
in-laws, spouses in poor
male headed households
with less successful
enterprises)

9. Empowerment opportunities- rice enterprise
development activities were:

More pronounced among the rich male and
female headed households
 Engaging in successful rice enterprises Resources , above average levels of education
(rural elites).
 Characterized by
 low level of alcohol intake,
 Presence of salvation /practicing Christians
 Cooperation between spouses
Signs of improvement were noticed in almost all the
empowerment indicators studied :
Land Sensitization programmes
Increasing land rights awareness of women's rights to land,
Increased access to information and technologies

Training programs increasing access, engagement , female
enterprise ownership, increased decision making
In credit access 
credit access programs improved and increased access to
credit, engagement and venturing rice enterprises
Improve access to labour,

labour groups , in kind payments , income payments, hiring
equipments
Markets

Group marketing / social agency –poor Households , bulk
production , market research training
Division of roles

Cooperation between spouses, sharing roles and
responsibilities
Improved incomes

Increases in assets, quality of education, food security, health
(household welfare)
Self confidence and independence

Taking up positions of leadership, speaking in public, getting
into politics
Reduced domestic violence

Limited conflicts and fights in the household

Healthy children

10. PROGRAMME IMPACT
Indicators of impact on
women empowerment:
decision-making power,
access and control of
livelihoods resources
PROGRAMME
INTERVENTIONS
Household’s riceenterprise development
GENDER EQUITY
feedback ---Required
changes and/or
improvements on
development policies
BROAD CONTEXTUAL
FACTORS
(Socio- cultural elements i.e.
norms, beliefs, values, power
relations etc)
DEVELOPMENT POLICIES FOR
GENDER EQUITY/EQUALITY
Rice-enterprise Development
Women empowerment through riceenterprise development –
• Strongly influenced by structural
elements -rural households
/communities. Culture,
values/norms and power relations
To promote gender equity- Ensure that
programmes geared towards this cause• Are informed by an initial
understanding of the broader
contextual factors existing within
households and communities
• Hence development intervention
programmes such as rice –enterprise
development interventions can then
be introduced in rural communities.
• Continuous assessment /these
factors and programme interventions
Intended to inform the different
policies
Outcomes should then influence policy
development directions.