Gender and decision-making in agriculture

Musika Development Initiatives (Musika) is a non-profit company that works to stimulate private sector investment in rural agricultural markets.

It does this by helping businesses develop mutually beneficial and transparent commercial relationships with smallholder farmers. This includes integrating the provision of information and technology adoption. It provides long term incentives for farmers to invest in their farming businesses. 

Intervention description

Using the groundnuts sector as a case study, this research examines the:

• effect of groundnut commercialisation on women producers
• effectiveness of women’s groups in enhancing women’s decision-making
• factors that affect female control over groundnut production, sales and income

Evidence methodology

The study uses data from the Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Survey 2015 (RALS15). RALS15 is a nationally representative survey that involved interviewing Zambian rural agricultural households in 2015.

7,934 households were interviewed  for the survey which covered the 2013/2014 agricultural season. Analysis methods used included both descriptive and econometric methods in form of a probit regression to derive the various estimates produced in this study. Analysis was also made through discussion with programme staff.