The context
Accessing extension and rural advisory services can be complex for women in developing countries like Ghana because most of these programs are designed with men’s requirements in mind. This, along with other difficulties experienced by women in farming, adds to the 20-30 per cent productivity difference between farms managed by women and those managed by men in developing nations.
Closing this gap is predicted to increase agricultural production by 2.5–4 per cent, increase food security, and enhance the welfare of rural people (FAO, 2011).
Our project
This interactive radio campaign project will raise awareness and improve gender-sensitive extension service delivery in Ghana as part of CABI's new PlantwisePlus program, which aims to both address the barriers that limit women’s access to rural advisory services, as well as to enhance knowledge and adoption of climate-smart plant health practices through responsive digital advisory tools.
Building on previous work (such as Farm Radio’s work to build e-extension platforms within the country using our unique Greenleaf radio magazines), the project will allow Farm Radio to enhance extension delivery and promote climate-smart plant health. This project will also contribute to improving the availability and use of gender-sensitive rural advisory services.
Working with partners, including radio stations, Farm Radio will implement a “Behaviour Change Communication” campaign to raise awareness among target audiences about the importance of women’s contribution to agricultural development and underscore the need to recognize them as legitimate contributors to and beneficiaries of agricultural services. Additionally, Farm Radio is working with 15 Community Information Centres to rebroadcast and play jingles.
In collaboration with partners, the project will create a participatory radio campaign to change the negative perceptions and attitudes of target audiences and society in general about women’s participation in agriculture extension activities and their roles in agricultural decision-making within the household.
This project will ultimately enhance gender equity and inclusivity in rural advisory service delivery and improve women’s participation and access to extension services, thereby promoting the uptake of improved techniques and innovations.
The ultimate aim of this Social Behaviour Change Communication campaign is to address identified sociocultural norms and attitudes that serve as barriers to gender-equitable agricultural extension delivery and induce the desired behavioural changes that will help bridge the agricultural productivity gap attributed to gender gaps in extension services in Bono and Bono East Region.
Results so far
0
Radio stations
0
Individual episodes produced
0
Hours of radioGender equality
The project will seek to: strengthen gender-responsive agricultural radio programming and collaborate with gender-based organizations to support the project while also strengthening the sustainability of agricultural radio programming as a permanent service for women and men small-scale farmers.
The programming will use the women resource persons to address social cultural norms, myths, and misconceptions about women's involvement in the rural advisory services by sharing their stories and promote women’s participation as decision-makers by using the clips from radio drama on gender.
This project is made possible through financial support of CABI.
Project snapshot
- Duration: 7 months, 2023
- Budget: $61,000 USD
- Radio stations: 4
- Regions: Bono and Ahafo regions
- Languages: English, Twi
Radio Partners
- Royal FM
- Success FM
- Sompa FM
- Rejoice FM
Project results
Expected results
- Small-scale farmers and extension agents have increased access to quality interactive radio campaign services on the Rural Advisory Services delivery and improve women’s participation and access to extension services
- Small-scale farmers have increased knowledge and practices on importance of women’s contribution to agricultural development and underscore the need to recognize them as legitimate contributors to and beneficiaries of agricultural service
- To support selected radio stations to produce and broadcast 16 weeks of interactive radio campaigns
Expected outputs:
- Smallholder farmers in the two Bono regions will have access to an interactive radio campaign program broadcasted in their language to create awareness of equitable access and benefit from extension services(Rural Advisory services)
- 40% of listeners will have increased knowledge to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes of target audiences and society in general about women’s participation in agriculture extension activities and their roles in agricultural decision making within the household and 20% of listeners will change behavior to recommended practices
- Each radio episode includes one of FRI’s Uliza regular interactivity and on-demand services, accessible to all development agents and smallholder farmers under the radio program coverage
- The selected local radio stations will have the capacity for gender-sensitive interactive radio programming and broadcast, specifically to design, produce and air a 16 weeks radio program on how men and women farmers are able to equitably access and benefit from extension services (Rural Advisory services)
