Gender Analysis and Approaches to Gender Responsive Extension to Promote Quality Protein Maize (QPM) in Ethiopia

Improved technologies are important in improving agricultural productivity and food security. The NuME project aims at improving food security among rural households through the dissemination of quality protein maize varieties. However, the project has yet conducted a gender analysis, which this paper tries to address. The analysis is conducted based on literature review, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and gender audit of the implementation partners conducted in two kebeles in Dore Bafana woreda of Sidama zone and one kebele in Bure woreda of West Gojjam zone. The study presents gender strategies to inform NuME project methodologies and means. Women were fouind to play a substantial role in household food and care production and income generation. However, they face sever constraints in terms of access to resources and services such as technological information and control over income with unfavorable implications to their participation and benefit from technology endeavours. The formal extension system is reduced to addressing female headed households. Farmer-to-farmer communication seems to be a useful tool in information dissemination in the study communities. Most women and many men in the sites are illiterate, which should be taken into account. Finally, the project collaborators lack gender personnel to carry out gender equality activities in relation to the technology. Extension staff needs training on integrating gender into their activities and collect gender disaggregated data at the intra-household level.