The gender-responsive participatory market chain approach (G+PMCA) triggers women's empowerment in Uganda
Photo: Bioversity International
Engagement in the banana value chain (VC) is the basis of many people’s livelihoods in Uganda, and both governmental and nongovernmental actors have invested in this VC by upgrading actor’s capacities and facilitating linkages to markets for increased profits. However, the VC is dominated by men, who play a prominent role in shaping the power dynamics.
Women are absent in the remunerable and most profitable areas and are concentrated in the area of retail characterized by the highest post-harvest losses (PHL) (18.42%) and the lowest profit margins. Social norms and business entry requirements pose major constraints to women’s participation in areas such as wholesale. For instance, it is seen as inappropriate for women to travel at night, yet banana wholesale involves transporting the bananas at night when temperatures are low, to minimize loss due to ripening.
To encourage women to venture into areas they are currently absent from, the Reducing Postharvest Losses and Promoting Product Differentiation in the Cooking Banana Value Chain subproject — part of a CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas project titled "Expanding utilization of roots, tubers and bananas and reducing their post-harvest losses" (RTB-ENDURE) — implemented the gender-responsive participatory market chain approach (G+PMCA).
Related content
