Improved Chicken Interventions and Women Empowerment in Bariadi and Muheza Districts, Tanzania

Abstract

Women empowerment has recently become a global policy objective, thus attracting much attention. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize women empowerment as one of the 2030 agenda. In the same vein, development partners across the world, including governments, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and International Development Organizations (INGOs), are increasingly concerned with women empowerment. Development policy makers and practitioners have realized the importance of empowering women as a way to enhance agricultural production and alleviate rural poverty. As such, more and more development projects are incorporating this issue and integrating activities designed to empower women into their structures and the implementation processes. However, evidence on whether specific development projects really empower women is limited. Various studies have revealed that projects that target women succeed to increase their access to income, but do not necessarily raise their empowerment levels. Therefore, this study evaluated the role of improved chicken intervention in empowering women socio-economically in Bariadi and Muheza districts, Tanzania. The study specifically: (i) analysed the determinants of women empowerment in relation to improved chicken intervention, (ii) determined the contribution of the African Chicken Genetic Gain (ACGG) project to women empowerment, and (iii) assessed the role of Community Innovation

Platforms (CIPs) in promoting women empowerment. The study adopted a cross- sectional research design and involved 240 women as its respondents. Both qualitative

and quantitative data were collected. The qualitative data were collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) while the quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Content analysis procedures were used to analyse the qualitative data. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis, index scales, Composite Empowerment Index (CEI) and ordinal logistic regression. The findings indicated that the majority of women in the two districts had achieved only a medium level of empowerment. The ACGG beneficiaries were more empowered (CEI = 0.714) than non-beneficiaries (CEI = 0.529). Results from ordinal logistic regression showed that age, the form of marriage, religion and involvement in the ACGG project significantly influenced women empowerment (p < 0.05). According to the findings, the ACGG project gave women access to income and an opportunity to challenge the cultural norms and practices that influence power relations. Keeping of improved chicken breeds was found to be a new innovation in the study area. Meanwhile, Community Innovation Platforms (CIPs) provided opportunities for collaboration not only to the stakeholders along the chicken For Personal Use

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value chain, but also to the potential stakeholders responsible for gender integration and community development at large. The study recommends that the Local Government Authority (LGA), Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and private sectors through their development projects should implement similar projects and extend them to other areas. Also, they should design educational programmes intended to get rid of harmful cultural norms and religious beliefs which impede women empowerment. Moreover, development partners should employ the Innovation Platforms (IPs) approach in their implementation of intervention projects, particularly those aimed at empowering women.