Gender Equality in Social Economy Organizations in Agriculture: An International Perspective

• In Event: Diversity and Inclusion through Nonprofit Organizations

Abstract

Since the 1970s, international development funding agencies have adopted policies promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. These terms gained prominence within Western feminist movements and were subsequently integrated into the international agenda, particularly during the launch of the United Nations Decade for Women (1976-1985). The impact of this mobilization is evident in the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal No. 5 in 2015 (Grown, et al., 2016). Multilateral and bilateral institutions, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), have since made institutional and strategic commitments to support and advocate for women's rights.

While gender-inclusive language holds a significant place in the priorities of international development actors, it is essential to acknowledge that the institutionalization of these terms has somewhat detached them from their political essence. Therefore, it becomes imperative to reconnect the concepts and practices of gender equality both conceptually and politically within a broader context of local and global social and economic justice (Cornwal & Rivas, 2015).

In our perspective, international cooperation within the realm of social and solidarity economy (SSE) provides an ideal platform for re-establishing the link between the concept and its practice, essentially grounding gender equality in its political content at the local level. To achieve this, we propose an analysis of the relationship between SSE organizations primarily rooted in the agricultural producers' movement in Canada and their counterparts – rural organizations in West Africa, specifically Burkina Faso and Senegal.

Within the context of international cooperation for agricultural development, the re-establishment of the link between gender equality and women's empowerment gains particular significance. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO: 2011), in sub-Saharan Africa, 31% of households are headed by women. These women face challenges related to access to productive resources and encounter economic and organizational obstacles when attempting to bring their products to domestic markets (Oriza and Paul, 2014; FAO, 2011).

Our methodological approach is founded on analytical induction and abduction (Anadòn and Guillemette, 2007: 34). One crucial data collection strategy involved interviews with 10 women in Senegal and Burkina Faso, from whom we gathered testimonies of their participation in various international cooperation projects financed by the Canadian counterpart organization over a span of more than 10 years.

This study aims to shed light on the practices and challenges in promoting women's rights within the agricultural sector. Our analysis seeks to provide insights into the following question: Do gender equality policies within a North-South partnership relationship translate into tangible actions for the (political and economic) empowerment of women farmers in West Africa?

References

Anadon, A. et F. Guillemette. 2007. « La recherche qualitative est-elle nécessairement inductive?, in Recherches Qualitatives, Hors série, no 5, pp. 26-37.

Cornwall, A et A-M. Rivas. (2015). « From ‘gender equality and ‘women’s empowerment’ to global justice: reclaiming a transformative agenda for gender and development ». Third World Quarterly, vol 36, no 2, pp. 396-415

FAO. (2011). The role of women in agriculture. Repéré à www.fao.org/docrep/013/am307e/am307e00.pdf

Grown, C., T. Addison et F. Tarp. (2016). « Aid For Gender Equality And Development: Lessons And Challenges ». Journal of International Development, vol. 28, pp. 311–319

Manjin, A. (2010). « Eliminating Poverty? ‘Financial Inclusion’, Access to Land, and Gender Equality in International Development ». The modern Law Review, vol 73, no 7, pp 985-1025

Navarro-Flores, O. (2009), Le partenariat en coopération internationale. Paradoxe ou compromis? Québec : Presses de l’Université du Québec, 252 p.

Oriza, J. et Paul, B. (2014). Rôle des femmes entrepreneures dans le renforcement de l’économie sociale et solidaire en Haïti. Haïti Perspectives, 3(3). Repéré à www.haiti-perspectives.com/pdf/3.3-role.pdf

Author

• Olga Navarro-Flores, Universite du Quebec a Montreal - UQAM