African women in rural development, research trends and priorities

A RATIONALE FOR THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT IS PRESENTED TO HIGHLIGHT THE SERIOUS LOSS OF POTENTIAL BROUGHT ABOUT BY NEGLECTING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION. AN HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF EXISTING LITERATURE IS MADE TO POINT OUT THE EVOLVING ROLE OF WOMEN IN RURAL ECONOMIES OF AFRICA AND TO INDICATE EXISTING GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE. THREE LEVELS OF RESEARCH CONCERNING WOMEN"S ROLES IN RURAL AFRICA ARE DESCRIBED: THE TRAINING OF AFRICAN WOMEN AND MEN IN TECHNIQUES OF DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSES TO REFLECT THE DIFFERENTIAL ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN IN SOCIETY; THE ASSEMBLY AND SYNTHESIS OF PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED SOURCES CONCERNING AFRICAN WOMEN IN THE RURAL ECONOMIES; AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RESEARCH PRIORITIES IN ACCORDANCE WITH EACH COUNTRY"S RESOURCE CAPABILITIES, FOCUSING ON KEY ISSUES OF PRIMARY SIGNIFICANCE FOR WOMEN AND THEIR NATIONS. THESE RESEARCH AREAS ARE PROPOSED WHICH HAVE A GENERAL APPLICATION TO AFRICAN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHICH CAN BE REDEFINED ON A COMPARATIVE BASIS TO SUIT INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES: ACCESS TO LAND, LABOR ALLOCATION, TIME BUDGETING, DECISION MAKING IN THE HOUSEHOLD, MALE OUTMIGRATION, AGRICULTURAL TRAINING, PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN MARKETING AND COOPERATIVE SOCIETIES, WOMEN"S SELF-HELP AND WORK GROUPS, WOMEN IN PASTORAL SOCIETIES AND MARGINAL AREAS, NUTRITION, FAMILY PLANNING AND COMMUNITY HEALTH.