On gender norms, innovation and smallholder farming: Patterns and processes of change in rural Uganda

Abstract

This thesis is about gender norms in the context of rural transformation and particularly
focuses on innovation and smallholder farming. I posit that women and men in low- and
middle-income countries, engage differently in farming, based on locally defined gender
norms and roles which usually put men in advantaged positions. The first objective of
this thesis is to increase understanding on processes of gender normative change and
on how gender norms affect processes of (agricultural) innovation. The second objective
is to adapt and design approaches and methodologies - to conduct gender research
in the framework of AR4D - that have potential to contribute to gender equality, avoid
reinforcing inequalities and that raise the critical consciousness of researchers and other
stakeholders of AR4D. I adopt a systems’ approach and, across the different chapters,
study gender as a system or apply a gender lens to study gender dimensions of farming
systems. Four chapters are based on empirical research using mixed methods with an
emphasis on qualitative research methodologies and one chapter describes the design
of a new method that supports gender-responsive scaling of agricultural innovations. My
empirical research is situated in the rural areas of Central and Western Uganda.