Balit, Silvia (author) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
Format:
Report
Publication Date:
1999
Published:
International
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Box: 150 Document Number: C24244
Notes:
Retrieved May 5, 2006., 38 pages., Emphasizes the need and potentials for giving a voice to rural women in development. Presents case examples involving varied channels for communicating, from traditional media to new electronic technologies.
17 pages, In developing countries, agriculture plays a vital role in reducing poverty and enhancing food security. In Sunamganj, Bangladesh, rural women significantly contribute to agriculture but face gender disparities and limited access to resources. Green cooperatives provide a promising model to empower these women through sustainable practices and economic support. This study explores the roles and impacts of green cooperatives on rural women entrepreneurs in Sunamganj, focusing on factors influencing their involvement, the benefits, and constraints they face, and changes in empowerment before and after joining cooperatives. This study was conducted across five upazilas in Sunamganj, the sampled 200 women entrepreneurs-100 cooperative members and 100 non-members using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. Data was gathered via interviews, surveys, and focus group discussions (FGDs) and analyzed with SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify key influencing factors and the Problems Confrontation Index (PCI) was utilized to assess the severity of challenges faced by members. The findings reveal that green cooperatives enhance women’s socio-economic status through improved production, market access, financial stability, and decision-making roles. Education, credit access, input availability, training, and experience were key drivers of the cooperative engagement of rural women entrepreneurs. However, challenges like male dominance, limited training, transportation issues, labor shortages, and market information gaps persist. Despite these, women in green cooperatives benefit from fixed pricing for organic products, increased bargaining power, and timely access to inputs and training. The study highlights the need for improved education, continuous training, extension services, high-quality inputs, and better infrastructure to support women’s participation further. The insights provided aim to guide policymakers in developing supportive policies that enhance the impact of green cooperatives, address gender-specific challenges, and promote the use of digital tools for market access. Future research should explore longitudinal studies and regional comparisons for deeper insights into rural women’s empowerment.
10 pages, Online via UI Library electronic subscription. Open access., "This paper re-affirms that women make essential contributions to agriculture and rural enterprises across the developing world. But there is much diversity in women's roles and over-generalization undermines policy relevance and planning."
Bhowmik, Sharit (author) and Patel, Meena (author)
Format:
Book chapter
Publication Date:
1996
Published:
India
Location:
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D00563
Notes:
Pages 143-164 in Marilyn Carr, Martha Chen and Renana Jhabvala (eds.) Speaking out: women's economic empowerment in South Asia. Intermediate Technology Publications, London, UK. On behalf of Aga Khan Foundation Canada and United Nations Development Fund for Women. 238 pages.
Agricultural Communications Documentation Center, Funk Library, University of Illinois Document Number: D00565
Notes:
Pages 401-412 in Caroline B. Brettell and Carolyn F.Sargent (eds.), Gender in cross-cultural perspective. Fifth edition. Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. 578 pages.
