Gender issues and women"s participation in irrigated agriculture : the case of two private irrigation canals in Carchi, Ecuador

However, there is a lack of research on the specific roles, tasks, and functions of women in irrigated agriculture, especially in Latin America. By considering women as a heterogeneous group among the different water user groups, this report identifies the factors that influence the involvement of mestizo women in irrigated agriculture in two private irrigation canals in the province of Carchi, Ecuador. After an introduction to the study area, this report describes the users, their needs, and the different water uses of the two irrigation systems. Further, the degree of women"s involvement in irrigated agriculture is defined. Finally, factors that limit women"s involvement in irrigated agriculture and their participation in water user associations are identified. A typology based on "household life stage" and household composition is used to explain women"s involvement in irrigated agriculture. Water users" relation to the resource and women"s previous rural/urban backgrounds are analyzed for the different types of households. The study found that women"s participation in agriculture is higher in female-headed households. In households where the couple had small children, women"s participation in agriculture is limited by family obligations. In households where an old couple live by themselves, women are either too old or too sick to participate in agricultural activities as they did formerly. Finally, in households where the couple had no small children, women prefer to engage in other activities where they can control their income. It was also found that women with a rural background are more likely to participate in agricultural activities than are those with an urban background. The study suggests that it is only by looking more closely at the intra- household dynamics and urban/rural backgrounds of women in each of the different types of households that we can properly explain women"s involvement in irrigated agriculture. (Author abstract, modified)