Gender Tools for Value Chain Analysis: Examples from Groundnuts in Eastern Province, Zambia

Abstract

The commercialisation of ICRISAT’s mandate crops may have a negative impact on gender equity if men take control of decisions and roles that were previously controlled by women. This highlights the importance of gender analysis for value chain development. This discussion paper provides practical examples of tools that can be used to understand women’s role in the value chain, design gender-sensitive upgrading strategies, and measure changes in women’s control over decision-making for crop production and the use of crop income. The examples are based on the value chain for groundnuts in Eastern Province, Zambia. We summarise our experience of using these tools at a stakeholder workshop that included researchers, farmers, input suppliers, and processors