Empowering women in agricultural markets through collective action

Regional Stakeholder Dialogues in Mali

14 April 2010

Brief Overview of ProjectEmpowering women in agricultural markets through collective action

What is the project?

A research, learning and communications project on women smallholders’ collective action in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Who will benefit?

Up to 500,000 smallholder women across the region who are beneficiaries of Oxfam’s livelihoods programmes.

Project period: 1 Dec 2009 – 30 Nov 2011

Study countries: Ethiopia, Mali, Tanzania

Two phases

Set up and detailed planning

Detailed research design

Primary data collection on benefits of collective action

Analysis & Reporting

Detailed research design

Primary data collection on effective strategies

Analysis & reporting

Communications component – ongoing

6 months report

Annual report Final

reportAdvisory group

Advisory group

Advisory group

Project evaluation and closure

Stakeholder Dialogue

Stakeholder Dialogue

Stakeholder Dialogue

Progress review

June 2010 December 2010

November 2011

Phase 1: Research on Collective Action

Phase 2: Strategies for Enabling Gender Equitable Collective Action

Role of SDs in the project

• The purpose of SDs is to engage stakeholders in the research from the design phase onwards.

• SDs will help improve the quality of the research design, and promote wider awareness and buy-in of findings to encourage greater adoption of necessary changes in practice.

Three rounds of regional and national SDs:

• First round (Apr 2010) Influence research design & initial data collection

• Second round (Nov-Jan 2010) Feedback on results & planning for phase

2

• Third round (2011) Proposals for widening adoption of effective

strategies

Project Team in Mali

Oxfam staff: Aboubacar Traore & Aminata MaïgaResearchers:Yacouba M.Coulibaly & Faoussatou TadjouFocal point SNV: Assa Souko

Objectives of 1st round of regional SDs

• Raise awareness of the project and get regional stakeholders engaged in the research

• Identify and prioritize sub-sectors in the respective regions that will be the focus of the research *

• Develop initial inventory of collective action in selected subsectors

• Create a space where women can achieve greater visibility and where their opinions and concerns are heard

* Note: Sub-sectors to be validated in the national stakeholder dialogue.

Meetings were convened by FENAFER & AOPP

Who convened?

Koulikoro Sikasso

Main groups of participants were:

Who was there?

Koulikoro

Total: 27 participants

• 15 women producers

• 2 men producers

• 10 technicians from AOPP,

SNV & DRA (5 women)

Sikasso

Total: 27 participants

• 18 women producers

• 3 men producers

• 6 technicians from AOPP,

SNV &PCDA (2 women)

Methodology for regional SD

Main steps:

1 Group brainstorming of products produced in the region

2 Identification of sub-sectors based on list of products in region

3 Ranking, categorization and prioritization of sub-sectors

4 Development of initial inventory of collective action through mapping of prioritized sectors

Ranking of sub-sectors

Example of matrix used for ranking of sub-sectors

Mapping of selected sub-sectors to identify collective action

Key outputs from regional SDs

1) Four selected subsectors per region:

Koulikoro

• Millet/Sorghum

• Shea butter (Fisheries?)

• Ground nuts

• Organic sesame

2) Maps with inventory of collective action for selected sub-sectors

3) Commitment to share the methodology more widely

Sikasso

• Rice

• Mango

• Shea Butter

• Pois sucre

Communications

Extensive documentation (inc. video for sharing via national TV), reports and online (wiki)

Our project wiki – A web-based platform for wider networking and sharing

http://womenscollectiveaction.wikispaces.com

Four reps. from each regional SD will attend the National SD Photo: Reps from Sikasso

Next steps • Validate sub-sectors in

national stakeholder

dialogue (Apr 27)

• Inventory of collective

action (May)

• Sampling and survey

design (May-June)

• Implementation of survey &

data analysis (Sep-Nov)

• Reporting and feedback on

results (Nov 10-Jan 11)

Next steps

Update from other countries

Ethiopia

• R1-- March 18

• R2 -- March 29

• National – April 7

Final selected sub-sectors for Ethiopia are: Maize, Coffee, Ginger, Vegetables, Dairy & Honey

• R1 -- April 15

• R2” -- April 19

• National -- April 27

Tanzania

Questions?