Author: FATMA ABDU
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Local government Authority (LGA) and other value chain actors have been urged to increase support for women initiatives, because that empowers them to have access and become owners of resources.
According to the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) project, conducted by a Tanzania team from Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) the initiative to empower women should focus on improving their access and control of resources.
The APRA project was conducted in Morogoro and Singida Regions with the aim of assessing different opportunities and options, which different people (actors and service providers) face and choose for commercialisation in the rice and sunflower value chains; and the implications on livelihood outcomes in terms of inclusion and sustainability.
According to Senior Research Fellow in the project from SUA, Dr Devotha Kilave the study findings show that gender inequality is still high for women living in marital particularly in controlling resources in Singida region.
“Women should give support to access different opportunities especially in agribusiness. In our APRA study’s findings show that the combination of initiatives for livelihood is more important for women empowerment,” she said.
Dr. Kilave said that in order for women to thrive in the realities of their daily life, agribusiness plays a major role in empowering women to develop themselves out of poverty and dependency.
Dr Kilave pointed out that women’s participation in agribusiness issues, whether it is sunflower or rice farming, could develop their confidence in participating in economic, social and even political activities.
She said that the study also revealed that rice farming is increasing but the biggest beneficiary is man, who decides on the distribution of available income and the ownership of land for women is still less than for men.
On his part, APRA Tanzania Project representative, Prof. Aida Isinika said, for women to engage in agribusiness, the project has enabled them to produce products that are more productive and enable them to earn incomes, and as an opportunity to participate in other developmental activities including politics.
According to Prof Isinika, sunflower research is conducted in Iramba and Mkalama District, Singida Region while rice research is being conducted in Kilombero river basin, Mngeta Division in Morogoro Region.
