Gender disparity in cassava farmers access to agricultural productive resources in Rongo Sub County, Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

The disparities in access to productive resources keep on smothering agricultural growth and development, particularly in developing countries. This study was informed by the feminist political economy (FPE) framework to assessing the relationship between gender and access to agricultural productive resources among cassava farmers in Kenya. The research utilised mixed methods including the use of a survey instrument and focus group discussions. The FGDs included 30 participants. A cross-sectional survey of 92 farmers was conducted using simple random sampling and purposive sampling. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 2 out of 4 administrative wards in Rongo Sub County. Socioeconomic and gender and access to productive resources used descriptive statistics and Chi-square, respectively in SPSS Version 23. Qualitative data were analysed using NVivo. The findings showed that access to resources such as farmland, agricultural credit, agricultural extension services, and ICT, family and hired labour, and improved cassava varieties were gendered. The gendered access to productive resources cut across class, age, education and socio-cultural norms inform access to and control over resources. The study suggests that agricultural advisory services must prioritise women of low educational background and class living in patrilineal settings. This ought to be approached from a transactional gendered outlook considering men and women skewed access to agricultural productive resources to close the gender gap.