Market analysis

Gendered market analysis

Market systems often serve women and men differently. Understanding how and why is crucial for rigorous market systems analysis. 

In many contexts women face unique barriers, such as lower ownership of assets, and are disproportionately responsible for unpaid household work. They also make decisions based on a different set of motivations and priorities. These factors need to be understood so that your programme can work towards achieving a sustainable vision of an inclusive market system.

Gendered market analysis is about making explicit the different priorities, needs, and constraints facing women and men, so that gender differences are addressed in your programme strategy, intervention design and organisational practice. 

A useful framework for gendered analysis is the Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) in Inclusive Market Systems:

This framework focuses on the concepts of women's access and agency. A woman’s access is enhanced when she has the capacity to obtain greater economic resources. For example, if an inputs retailer sells fertilizer in smaller pack sizes that can be used on the smaller plots of land typically owned by women. A woman's agency is enhanced when she has the capacity to make decisions and act on opportunities that lead to economic advancement. 

Gendered market analysis looks at how women’s access and agency are affected by formal and informal gendered rules that reinforce and perpetuate gender inequality. This includes an in-depth understanding of how these rules interact at all levels, including household, community, workplace, supporting institutions, and enabling environments and how these rules have changed over time.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation's toolkit provides practical advice and lots of examples to help you understand gender norms and how they affect programmes. 

Gender in practice

Toolkit aimed at helping SDC donor staff better integrate gender in their programmes.

The toolkit recommends that any gender analysis is not only external (focused on the market system) but also internal (women are represented on the design and analysis team). Gendered analysis is therefore not a bolt on ‒ it’s part of your team's strategy.

What motivates women to buy?

Insight into the improved cookstove market and considerations for scaling strategies.