UNRISD in successful bid for R4D project on Feminization, Agricultural Transition and Rural Employment

The project, led by the University of Bern, investigates the developmental and gendered implications of the rise of non-traditional agricultural exports (NTAE) in developing countries. The research partnership also includes universities in the four case study countries: Bolivia, Laos PDR, Nepal and Rwanda. Funding for the project, which starts in June 2014, comes from the Swiss National Science Foundation and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

“Developing countries have for some time been broadening their range of agricultural exports beyond traditional crops, with significant implications for women’s work. With this project, UNRISD strengthens its gender programme, revisiting debates on gender and agriculture with a strong focus on women’s responsibilities for production and reproduction,” said UNRISD Director Sarah Cook.

The project has the following guiding questions:

- What are the effects of the increasing integration of rural women into export-led agriculture in specific contexts?

- Under which conditions do these effects enhance individual well-being and capabilities, open up pathways out of poverty for households, and advance overall social and economic development?

Surveys and case studies will be carried out by country teams in Bolivia, Lao PDR, Nepal and Rwanda.

More information will be posted on the UNRISD website in due course.

Photo: Gabe Saldana via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)