As a Rural Development Manager, How
Do I Ensure That Whatever Projects/Programs That I Will Implement Will Address
the Multidimensional Nature of Rural Development with Special Attention to
Gender Fairness and Sustainability?
In a time lacking of truth and certainty, and filled
with anguish and despair,
no woman should be shamefaced, in attempting to give
back to the world,
through her work, a portion of its lost heart. Louise Bogan
Rural
Development Manager requires clear perspective on the dimensions and
characteristics of rural area and the people. Perspectives which are based on
realities, history, gender issues, farming practices, lifestyle and sustainability
for the effective delivery of government services/interventions toward sustainable rural development.
As a rural
development manager, my task is to coordinate the operation of the trading
center among the Provincial and Municipal Government Units, farmer/suppliers
and buyers/traders; and relay the trading reports, feedback and status of the
operation to the Agribusiness Division of the Department of Agriculture. The
overall goal of the program is to reduce marketing layers and ensure that
farmers trade products at fair value.
I also conduct research on the
production technologies for Queen Pineapple, Lowland Vegetable and Rice. The
goal is to identify technology gaps to increase income or minimize production
cost of the target farmer adopters. The rest of my time is allotted to
attending meetings and serving as resource speaker during trainings. As a
whole, the tasks I performed are partly
operational, research and extension in nature which in totality geared towards bringing development in the rural area.
A realization that the effectiveness
of the development manager lies on his/her perspective which affects the
process of performance of duties pushed me to weigh my understanding on rural
development and how I can ensure the primacy of gender fairness and
sustainability in my projects and work activities.
I would like
to emphasize that rural development is both a process and outcome in terms of agricultural
production, trading and research activities. As a process, all components
require people’s involvement in planning and implementation. Change in existing
practices and beliefs entails persistent values formation and capability
building, commitment and patronage.
As an outcome, these components are being carried out by the people themselves.
Equipped with technical and social skills, people are more in control of what
they want and need to sustain and improve what they have established in the
development process.
However, in the process of delivery and
attainment of goals is the continuous bias on gender. This issue is being
addressed by the Department of Agriculture through integration of gender
friendly approach and strategies across the agency’s banner programs. As a rural
development manager, I will closely examine how I carried out these programs to
our clients and identify measures to address gap and ensure gender
fairness and sustainability.
Rural Development as a process in
relation to gender and sustainability
When it comes to gender fairness
relative to the delivery of government programs,
the common notions are rampant occurrence of gender biased approaches and
unsustainable practices. Being a
woman in the workforce, I experienced discrimination from counterparts in Local
Government Units and farmer beneficiaries while carrying out my duties. As
trading center coordinator part of my job was to supervise a 50-hectare
expansion area for vegetable production. Many times I had to assert and
argue to ensure that schedule of activities were followed from land preparation
up to the harvesting and marketing. I had to deal with angry tractor drivers,
demanding land owners, complaining farmers – 80% of them were men. I felt that
if I were a man it would have been easier to deal with them. Women involved in the land preparation and
production process are facilitative, curious and enthusiastic to get
involved with government program interventions.
Being one of the “women in the
development process” is a challenge in itself. Weak, emotional, dumb or simply
inferior to men are the stereotype norms that women often encounter and dealt
with in social working environment. Women must have strong personality and
solid confidence to overcome these notions and performed their task effectively.
These norms make the process of delivery
of service more difficult for women than male counterparts.
Because of the patriarchal culture in
the Philippines, undermining the capabilities and gigantic potential of women
in catalysing rural development has become a way of life. As one Facebook post
says:
“A woman must work like a horse, eat
like a girl and smell like perfume”. This connotes the big responsibility put
on women’s shoulders while living on to the feminine beauty and grace which men
expects or demand from them.
We often forget that women run the
world (Beyonce will agree) especially in developing countries. According to
Valdivia and Gilles (2001) : “Women of
the developing world contribute significantly to the three pillars of food
security: food production, economic access to available food, and nutritional
security.”
Through the years, women in rural
areas have been deeply involved in the rural development process amidst gender
discrimination, harassment, famine and hunger. Some have endured great
sufferings, some has attained humble accomplishments, and some has renowned
undertakings. These resilient amazing women are the unsung heroes in the rural
areas; the key to development; and as they grew empowered they have become the
outcome of development.
Rural Development as an outcome in
relation to gender and
sustainability
Women
of today are capable of more complex things than just providing food and stay
at home as mom that they used to be. We are fearless, resilient, empowered,
caring and often more passionate in performing our duties and tasks. Women
cared much for the future and thus uphold sustainability practices for the
benefit of the children.
The modern women in the rural area knew that sustainable livelihood is
imperative and need not be compromised to meet short term needs.
The weekly operation of the trading center
for the month of July 2017 shows that delivery of lowland vegetables is being
carried out by 50% men and 50% women. This indicates increase participation of
women in marketing of agricultural products. Meanwhile, buying of goods from
the center for retails purposes shows 10% men and 90% women were actively
involved in trading. This is a far cry from 1980 scenario where women are
disregarded in major livelihood activities.
This is positive indicator that gender equality programs are in effect
in livelihood activities.
Livelihoods are defined as sustainable
when people can face and recover from stress and shocks and, more importantly,
when households can maintain and even improve assets and capacities without
deteriorating the natural resource base (DFID
1999 ). In the trading center,
these sustainable livelihoods are highlighted on processing and value adding
activities to prevent spoilage in times of excess in production or over supply.
Women, young and old, actively participate in the capability trainings and
establishment of business enterprise through small organizations or cooperatives.
Convergence of Gender
fairness and sustainability as necessary ingredient to rural development
It is evident that women are becoming
key players in management and actual agricultural activities and livelihood
from planning, budgeting, and record keeping of production activities up to the
marketing of harvests. The once vulnerable sector in the community has evolved
into productive, income generating and bearer of development in the
countryside.
Integrating women into economic
activities through sustainable livelihood is a pin to the wheel of rapid rural
development. Women knew that the most important resource in the community is
people. Chambers (1997) argues that women are socialized more to deal with
people (family, friends, neighbours), while men are socialized to deal with
things (material). This strong network provides a source of information and
camaraderie in sustaining livelihoods while upholding the care for the
environment.
In this context, trainings are made
available to women to enhance their skills which include farmer’s field school,
gardening, fruit and vegetable
pest control, vegetable organic farming and natural swine raising; however
women’s participation in these trainings are limited to those capable of
physical hard work. Women’s involvement
are less concentrated in food production but has noticeably intensive
participation on post-harvest and
processing for livelihood activities such as food and meat processing,
handicrafts for pili shell craft and corn products, baking and pastries and
rice based products and kakanin.
Women’s groups are provided with
starter input coupled with orientation on how to use small and portable
processing equipment. Available equipment for distribution include electric
grinders, pili shell craft equipment, banana and cassava chipper, moringa
grinder, cassava grater with chipper and fermentation facility.
To ensure that women’s group are strengthened, they are trained to
prepare a simple project proposal and bookkeepers’ training on financial accounting
and recording. Regular consultations with women leaders are also being
conducted. Market support to livelihood activities are provided thru
participation of women to trade fairs, investment fora and market matching.
Consumer awareness campaign is also held.
Inclusion of women from the
indigenous group to sustainable livelihood programs is enhanced. IP women
leaders are invited to series of trainings, dialogues and consultations on how
to provide better assistance while upholding their culture and traditions. Compliance
to good agricultural practices and issuance of certification is also provided
to farms managed by women’s group for a competitive advantage when free trade
agreement is fully implemented.
Collaborative
project with Philippine Commission on women in support to women’s economic
empowerment, women’s rights and gender equality in governance is also being
implemented. Technical working Group was formed participated by women’s group
involved in various micro enterprises.
To further motivate and inspire
women, the Department of Agriculture conducts a Search for Outstanding Rural
Women who has outstanding accomplishment and provided significant impact in the
community. Cash awards and agri-projects are granted to extraordinary women in
the field of agriculture and agri- related enterprises.
Strategies/Commitment to address
multi-dimensional nature of rural development with special attention to gender
fairness and sustainability
Economic and social rights of women are key
consideration in government planning of programs for rural development. The
state legally recognized equal rights of men and women in 2009 thru the
Republic Act 9710 known as an act providing for the Magna Carta for Women. The
anti-violence act against women (Republic Act 9262) is also enforced to protect women and children against
abuses. Women in the development process must be aware of and protect these
rights, and orient each other.
Information
dissemination on gender fairness and sensitivity shall be included in our
training lectures on capability buildings. Encouragement on women participation
to every component of agricultural activities shall be enhanced to ensure that
women in the rural area do not feel excluded in the implementation of government programs.
Women are
persistent and resilient and have survived through the years; I have seen
extraordinary women in the government,
in the field and at home. My mother raised us working as a coconut farmer and
was able to send four children to college. However, forms of sexual harassment
and physical abuse discourage the participation of women in rural
development process. Upholding the rights of women will sustain their
involvement and partnership in sustainable livelihood activities.
I believe
that the pre-requisite to an effective delivery of service is a solid
understanding of one’s self and belief. As rural development manager I must
acquire sufficient and credible knowledge on women’s rights, roles, values, and
opportunities before I can provide a valid technical assistance reflecting
these learnings. A self-aware person is sensitive with the norms, traditions
and cultures and the potential impact of programs implemented to the people,
community and the whole rural sector.
III. CONCLUSION
Rural
development management is challenging task which requires self-awareness and
clear perspective on the multi-dimensional nature of rural development. The systems thinking that
every component are interacting elements (Albanese 1987) and generally connotes
order of arrangement (Sharma 1990) that function to achieve predetermined goals
(Ackoff, 1973) is parallel to rural development viewed both as a process and
outcome. A rural development manager must learn the art of collaboration to
ensure people’s involvement in the process combined with enhanced leadership
and management skills to guide the people in the attainment of
sustainable and gender sensitive goals with a positive outcome.
IV. REFERENCES
Stephens, A. Gender
Issues and agricultural and rural development policy in Asia and the Pacific
http://www.fao.org/docrep/x0177e/x0177e04.htm
Why Gender Matters to Ecological
Management and Poverty Reduction
Isabel
Gutierrez-Montes , Mary
Emery , and Edith
Fernandez-Baca
DA Programs for Women. DA RFO 5
M.C.Zaballa,
2011. Evaluation of Programang Gulayan sa Masa in Masbate and Camarines Norte.
Central Bicol State University.
