Gender and agricultural extension: why a gender focus matters

Abstract

The long-term success of extension services is dependent upon addressing the underlying causes of gender inequality. However, gender analysis is often not included in the design and implementation of extension services. Our aim with this review is to highlight the importance of gender integration into agricultural extension programs in various parts of the world, to raise much needed awareness on the subject. We do not aim for an extensive literature review but rather seek to identify the harms caused by the exclusion of gender, make suggestions for how scholars and practitioners might include gender, and indicate some ways to move forward. Ultimately, gender transformative approaches should be pursued in the future as strategies that focus on the causes of inequality, rather than the symptoms