Understanding gender roles in production and marketing of agroforestry tree products using task assessment

I ndividuals’ roles are influenced by the different tasks, concerns and responsibilities in their daily lives. Assessing male and female tasks individually increases awareness of related issues and provides a framework for prioritizing tasks and roles. In gender analysis, assessment of tasks is used to develop an understanding of particular roles of both men and women. It can help in providing a comparative analysis based on the level of participation in a specific task. In such assessment, community members are invited to participate, specifically people who work with the product in the various stages of the value chain on a daily basis. Women play a key role in different phrases of agroforestry value chains— production, harvesting, postharvest, processing, organizational arrangements and marketing. Task assessment results enable all concerned to identify the various gaps for women in each of the areas examined. Once these gaps are understood, implications and suggestions for future research can be provided to enhance the likelihood of women’s empowerment.

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