Abstract:
The success of the agricultural economy in many developing countries is
challenged, mainly because women who represent a crucial resource are largely
constrained in the access to productive resources Researchers have
demonstrated that cultural norms and values strongly influence access to
productive resources. Development agencies in response to productive
constraints provide programmes to improve rural livelihoods. The outcomes of
these projects are however not always successful. The study sought to explain
how agricultural production relations shape gendered responses to rural
livelihood interventions in the Sunyani Municipality. The study adopted the
qualitative research approach and specifically, the explanatory design. The
purposive sampling technique was used to select respondents for focus group
discussions, in-depth and key person interviews. The secondary data was
analysed using gender analytical tools from the Moser Framework and the
Social Relations Approach. The primary data was thematically analysed. The
study found that men as household heads structurally controlled production
relations and therefore had better access and control than women. All but one of
the selected interventions was gender aware. Responses to interventions were
gendered with men inclined to crop related interventions and the women, to
those offering off-farm livelihood diversification. The study concluded that
production relations affected the nature of responses to any intervention. It
recommended that interventions should be planned in view of contextual
production relations so as to address relations between men and women.
Women farmers should also endeavour to form farmer groups to develop their
agency.
