Gender, Rural Youth and Structural Transformation: Evidence to Inform Innovative Youth Programming

Abstract

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Agriculture and youth in Nigeria: Aspirations, challenges, constraints, and resilience

“…In the Samaru Kataf FGDs for example, all 15 women farmed on their own lands, though the strength of their tenure was not discussed and requires further research. Access to land was not identified as a gendered constraint, despite other research in Sub-Saharan Africa identifying gendered constraints to land tenure as a key challenge, including in Nigeria (Doss et al 2019). This could be driven by higher joint ownership of the land that young women attain through marriage.…”

“…Such programs, as well as interventions to increase access to start-up capital and financing agricultural inputs can be supplied via mobile phones as young farmers are more likely to obtain information on agriculture over the internet, largely transmitted through mobile phones. Doss et al (2019) suggest that micro-credit programs that provide cash grants and micro finance to young rural entrepreneurs can significantly reduce credit constraints for young rural Nigerians and improve their path to self-employment. However, microfinance programs that are coupled with business training proved more effective for increasing profitability, particularly for young women.…”

“…For example, they determine who expects to inherit land and assets, who migrates and who takes on more domestic responsibilities (Doss et al 2019). Policies and programming targeted towards rural youth may not always take such social and gender norms into account.…”

“…Policies and programming targeted towards rural youth may not always take such social and gender norms into account. For example, women may be less likely to start their own business due to their domestic responsibilities, more limited access to credit markets and financial services, and less ownership of assets for collateral (Doss et al 2019). Although both men and women are heavily involved in agricultural activities and along the entire food value chain, women's agricultural productivity is constrained due to lower access to information and extension services, fewer physical assets and agricultural inputs like fertilizers, and as a result of smaller plots of land with lower tenure security (Oseni et al 2013).…”

“…Understanding the opportunities, constraints and aspirations of young rural men and women can enable governments to design effective policies to specifically benefit youth and their livelihoods while tackling the larger rural development agenda (IFAD 2019). Investments in young men and women during their childhood, including in education and nutrition can affect their resilience capacities and response options as they transition to adulthood (Doss et al 2019). IFAD (2019) proposes to strengthen youth outcomes in agriculture through a focus on connectivity, productivity and agency.…”