Human Capital and Gender Issues Dr. George Norton Agricultural and Applied Economics Virginia Tech Copyright 2009 AAEC 3204 AAEC 3204
Transcript
Slide 1
Human Capital and Gender Issues Dr. George Norton Agricultural
and Applied Economics Virginia Tech Copyright 2009 AAEC 3204
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Objectives Discuss role of human capital investment, especially
education, in agricultural development Discuss roles of women and
children in agriculture and food security Discuss determinants of
those roles and policy implications roles
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Human Capital Development Improves farm efficiency Prepares
children for non-farm occupations
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Three Types of Education: Primary and secondary Adult education
Higher education
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Farmer Field School in Mali
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Why is education an investment both for the individual and for
society? Individuals receive 10-30% return on their private
investment, but society gains from a more literate workforce which
is more productive across the board
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Why are research, extension, and education complementary
activities? Educated people can generate and diffuse technologies,
while a more educated workforce can more easily adopt the
technologies.
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What is the brain drain and what might slow it down? Brain
drain Educated people leave an area or country to seek higher
paying employment elsewhere Slowing it down Higher paying local
jobs Contracts for educational support
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Roles of women and children Women have dual roles: household
and farm Women produce food, process food, preserve food, prepare
food, purvey food. They work in the field, tend livestock, thresh
grain, carry produce to market. Children begin working on the farm
at a very young age
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Women at work in agriculture
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Women at work
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Women in agriculture in Africa
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Children at work
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Female farm workers in India
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Statistics and Facts Women produce half of the food consumed in
developing countries (3/4 in Africa) They complete 90% of
processing and 60% of hoeing and weeding They often tend separate
plots in Africa but not in Asia and Latin America Importance of
women in farming systems is often underestimated Women spend more
of the income they earn on food for the family than do men
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Determinants of role of women in agriculture Social, cultural,
and religious factors Population pressures Farming techniques
Off-farm job activities Colonial history
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Constraints to improving womens productivity in agriculture
Weak land rights Lack of appropriate technology Limited contact
with extension Limited access to credit and savings Lower levels of
education Result is lower yields
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Policy Implications Need to consider opinions of women when
designing technologies Need to focus education and extension
activities on women Women need credit and inputs Lack of property
rights for women will continue to pose a constraint to increasing
agricultural productivity
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Conclusion Overall productivity of an economy depends on the
quality of its labor force Unless gender issues are addressed, in
many countries agricultural development will be difficult to
achieve