Gender Control and Labour Input: Who Controls the Proceeds from Staple Crop Production among Zambian Farmers?

However, the control of proceeds from crop production is predominantly held by men, with most fields being controlled by a male household head. According to the 2010 Crop Forecast Survey (CFS), the majority of maize, rice, and cassava fields in Zambia are controlled by men, with small to moderate regional variations. The study found that household headship is the most important determinant of the gender of the person controlling the largest field, with women controlling over 90% of the largest maize fields and 79.6% of the cassava fields in female-headed households. In contrast, men control over 90% of maize and rice fields in male-headed households. The fact that most rural households in Zambia are headed by a man explains why, overall, most fields are controlled by a man. The study also found that the proportion of maize and rice fields controlled by a man rises as the household's degree of farm commercialization increases, with over 80% of the largest maize fields being controlled by a man in households where over half of maize production is marketed. The study's findings suggest that the control of proceeds from crop production is influenced by the household's headship and commercialization status, rather than the land inheritance system in Zambia. The study's results have implications for policy and programmatic development in the agricultural sector, highlighting the need for better information on intra-household gender-based constraints and opportunities in agriculture and power dynamics. The study's data was collected from over 10,000 smallholder farmers through the 2010 CFS, which provides an empirical basis for an exploratory analysis of gender control and labor input on the largest maize, cassava, and rice fields. The study's findings are relevant to the 1997 Southern Africa Development Community Declaration on Gender Development, to which Zambia is a party, and highlight the need for effective interventions to promote rural agricultural livelihoods. The study's results also have implications for the HIV/AIDS and Gender Impact Report of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, which notes that Zambian women and youths contribute seventy percent of agricultural labor, yet have little access to productive assets and are marginalized in decision-making processes. The study's findings suggest that addressing the gender-based constraints and opportunities in agriculture and power dynamics is crucial for promoting rural agricultural livelihoods and reducing poverty.