Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS):

Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education

Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems (AKIS) comprise the institutions and organizations that generate
and disseminate knowledge and information to support agriculture production, marketing, and post-harvest han-
dling of agricultural products and management of natural resources. Most AKIS projects support agricultural
research, extension, or education activities, which are increasingly viewed as components of an inter-related system.
Rationale for Integrating Gender into AKIS Projects
While men and women farmers share many responsibilities, they often have different production systems, and different needs and
constraints relating to the farming activities. Gender differences at the household level very often lead to differential access to
knowledge and information, and support services in agricultural production, irrespective of the realities in the field. Lack of attention to
these issues in projects therefore leads to inefficient utilization of human resources, and loss in productivity.

Gender Mainstreaming in Technology Gender Integration into Extension

Generation and Dissemination:
Nicaragua Technology and Land
Management Project
The Nicaraguan National Institute of Agricultural Technology
(INTA) implemented the project’s technology generation and
transfer program. Gender received little attention during project
design. However, the Staff Appraisal Report included a
component on gender-related studies and technical assistance
during project implementation. Also, a Gender Specialist visited
the project as part of the World Bank gender review during the
project launch. This gave a boost to the gender focus in INTA’s
activities. INTA started participating in the Bank-managed
Gender and Institutional Innovation (GINO) Program in Latin
America for technical assistance to integrate gender into its
activities. INTA also received support for gender work from
international organizations like NORAD, FINNIDA, the Dutch
Service for Development Cooperation, and the Swiss Govern-
ment.
INTA has made goo d progress in institutionalizing gender in
all its operations. It has taken steps to:
a) undertake participatory diagnosis to identify institutional
bottlenecks in integrating gender in agricultural research
b) integrate gender analysis in extension manuals
c) provide training for technical staff, clients and management
d) undertake rapid farmers’ diagnosis from a gender perspective
e) incorporate a gender in INTA’s annual operational plans and
undertake systematic monitoring of the action plan
f) develop a pilot program to demonstrate impact of gender
analysis in agricultural extension, and
g) create a gender unit within INTA.
Services:
A Study of Rural Women in the Sahel
A sector study assessed the access of rural women to agricultural
extension in five Sahelian countries —Burkina Faso, Mali,
Mauritania, Senegal, and the Gambia. The study concluded that
the percentage of women-headed households in the region was
underestimated in official records, and that this was a major reason
for not placing enough emphasis on women farmers in the delivery
of extension services. It also recognized women’s long working
hours as the main constraining factor in their participation in
extension activities and in receiving extension support in their
diverse activities. Women’s low productivity and income were
found to be the result of lack of access to productive resources, lack
of demand for their produce in local markets, poor marketing
strategy and infrastructure, and low levels of functional literacy.
In order to improve women’s productivity in farming, the
study recommended:
• targeting extension and other services to various social groups,
especially de facto female–headed households
• developing a menu of extension modules for women farmers to
choose from, and gearing extension activities to suit their
timing and needs
• giving priority to technology development for women’s time
saving
• delivering extension messages that match the varied activities
of women, and collaborating with other agencies as needed
• facilitating women’s access to agricultural support services
provided by NGOs and others; and
• increasing access to inputs by encouraging village boutiques
run by women to stock inputs and tools.
Other strategies that have proved to be successful for fostering
gender equity in the delivery of extension services in the Sahel
are:
• Free standing, multi-sectoral Women in Development
projects. For example, the Gambia project which enabled units
under the Agricultural Ministry to increase their focus on
women farmers
• WID coordinators and women’s units that address the needs of
women farmers and livestock producers
• Training of extension agents to raise gender awareness and
emphasize gender issues in their work
• Training of rural minorities and women as agricultural agents.
 Checklist of Gender-Related Issues and Activities during the Project Cycle
Identification Design Implementation Implementation
and Preparation and Appraisal and Supervision Completion
✓ Existing technology to meet ✓ Funding for research on specific ✓ Research programs focusing on ✓ Technologies to address gender
gender specific needs, its technology needs of men and gender-specific needs needs in place—better use of
Technology
Generation

appropriateness including cost
factors
✓ Adoption of technology by men
and women farmers
✓ Existing capacity among research
and extension staff to identify
social and gender issues
Institutional
Capacity
women farmers
✓ Funding for research on minor
crops and vegetable
✓ Emphasis on farming systems’
research with a gender focus
✓ Funding for staff training, in
gender awareness raising, and
gender tools and methods
✓ Technologies made simple and
non input-intensive for easy
adoption
✓ Gender training provided to and/
or planned for research and
extension staff
saved time
✓ Increase in productivity through
adoption of improved packages
by all categories of farmers
✓ Research and extension system
more sensitive to gender-based
needs

✓ Males and females among
extension staff
✓ Facilities for advanced education
in agriculture for women
✓ Extension programs, if any, to
meet gender-specific needs
✓ Appropriateness of extension
Dissemination
✓ Project support for gender specific ✓ Research and extension staff ✓ Increase in number of women
activities in research and trained for increased focus on agricultural graduates in rural
extension gender in support services areas
✓ Strengthening facilities for women ✓ Curriculum developed to meet ✓ Improvement in quality of
in agricultural education, inclusion gender-based needs services in extension
of women in the faculty
✓ Project support for dissemination ✓ Training and contacts among ✓ Wide adoption of technology by
and adoption of advanced female farmers men and women farmers of all
technology ✓ In farmer led extension— categories

✓ Strengthening of FFSs to include

Information

messages to male and female women’s participation in training,

farmers of different categories
✓ Access to technology and
extension services by women
farmers
✓ Participation of women in field
demonstrations, FFSs
✓ Gender sensitivity in research and
extension policy—priority on
addressing gender needs
Implications
women
✓ Extension messages and training
made relevant to the needs of
men and women in farming
✓ Private sector and NGO
involvement in technology testing,
dissemination and training
✓ Initiatives to promote gender
equality in research extension
policy
and field demonstrations
✓ Technology adoption made easy
and economical
✓ Emphasis on gender in research ✓ Increase in men and women
and extension farmers’ income through
✓ Adoption rates of advanced improved access to technology

✓ Differential allocation, access to ✓ Extension strategy to integrate technologies by women and and extension services.
Policy

resources by men and women
✓ Strategies to encourage female
students from rural areas
✓ Assess technology and extension
needs of men and women
Notes to Task
gender consideration in planning
and implementation; incentives to
staff for gender mainstreaming
✓ Incentives and reservation for
female students in agricultural
colleges
✓ Emphasize participation in
identification, planning and
under- privileged
✓ Women’s enrollment in
agricultural courses
✓ Measure gender integration
against targets set for research
✓ Improvement in employment
opportunities in rural areas for
trained graduates
✓ Evaluate impact in both qualitative
and quantitative terms.

farmers, and identify the gaps in implementation of activities and extension activities.
Teams

support services ✓ Provide options to women

✓ Assess male and female farmers’ farmers for choosing activities.
needs and constraints
✓ Develop a gender core group
within the system to ensure
gender integration.

Suggested Gender-Related Indicators for AKI S Projects

Input Indicators
♦ Amount of funding for gender
specific research, extension
capacity building and training
♦ Number of women and men in
community participation including
research and extension planning
♦ Amount of funding for improved
facilities for agricultural education
♦ Number of research- extension
sub-projects planned/initiated to
address gender needs.
Process Indicators
♦ Number of gender training
programs organized for staff
♦ Level of NGO and private sector
involvement in extension services
and farmers training
♦ Curricula revised to suit needs of
women.
Output Indicators Impact Indicators
♦ Gender oriented research–extension ♦ Adoption rates of new practices
activities completed and technologies among men and
♦ Improvement in quality of support ser vices women
for women farmers– more contact, need- ♦ Improvement in income of men
based advice, etc. and women farmers
♦ Number of staff trained ♦ Number of women graduates
♦ Gender balance among extension staff against baseline.
♦ Number of women farmers trained—
women in field trials(%)
♦ Number and quality of gender-focused
extension messages produced
♦ Increase in women’s enrollment.