Welcome everybody Introducing participants GRIT CGIAR postdoc researchers

Welcome everybody! Introducing participants GRIT – CGIAR post-doc researchers who work on gender Penn State University CGIAR qualitative researchers from GENNOVATE CIP and CIAT colleagues from Vietnam and Philippines Vietnam partner institutions who work closely with the marginalized farmers in upland Vietnam

2/13 Women and men farmers’ experiences in adoption of new technologies: gendered processes of agricultural innovation in Northern Vietnam Nozomi Kawarazuaka CIP-CIAT 17 January 2017 GRIT seminar

Presentation outline 3/13 Problem statement: Innovation as technologies – reinforcing masculine structures Concepts: Innovation as gendered processes – reflecting positionality Research questions: How do women and men learn new agricultural practices under the patriarchal family structures? Key findings Implications for CGIAR agricultural interventions Discussions with seminar participants: We would like CGIAR innovations to better support women and men farmers who have been marginalized from conventional intervention approaches. What can be the roles of qualitative and/or quantitative research on gender to inform CG scientists?

Problem Statement The left behind ethnic minorities in upland Vietnam Agricultural extension services to close the technology gaps Masculine innovation introduced – high yield varieties, new crops Men who have social power benefited while women and poor men are further marginalized – integration results in further marginalization Research within the masculine framework of agricultural extension services has limitations. Need to understand local perceptions of innovation, local knowledge sharing systems, local innovators and gender differences in these. 4/13

Concepts Innovation as socially constructed: shaped by positionality and social identities of individual innovators (Blake and Hanson 2005) Technologies as gendered processes: the role of technologies in reproducing patriarchy – a shift from research on women’s access to technologies to examine processes by which technology is developed and used (Wajcman 2009) Power and innovation: innovation reflects and reproduce masculine discourses, which is resilient in the face of contest. (Wikhamn and Knights 2013) Methodological challenges: researchers easily push the informants to emphasize certain innovations and downplay others. Alsos et al (2013) 5/13

6/13 Research question and methods How do women and men learn new agricultural practices under the patriarchal family structures? Methods: in-depth interviews and life histories Table 1: The number of interviewees Ethnic group Women Men Thai 17 10 Hmong Dao 18 15 10 13 Total 50 33 Table 2: The degree of power and freedom Step 5 Power and freedom to make most major life decisions Step 4 Power and freedom to make many major life decisions Step 3 Power and freedom to make some major life decisions Step 2 Only a small amount of power and freedom Step 1 Almost no power or freedom to make decisions Source (GENNOVATE)

Nozomi 7/13

Key findings: Men talk about technologies 8/13 Rich men Poor men Trying new things takes a risk, you need to have internal strength (selfconfidence). Innovation by a lot of debt is NOT socially acceptable. Coffee plantation High yield cassava High yield rice Timber Intercropping Chemical fertilizer Machines Adopting only small things (incremental change) after observing other men’s success. Value their own experiences above scientific knowledge 5 5 4 3 2 1 1 They are good friends of extension workers business men outside village the government officers 3 2 4 Role models: brothers, neighboring men at similar socio-economic status Social network: limited within the family and the village they live. CGIAR we are here, supporting this type of men, reinforcing patriarchy

Key findings: Women’s innovation processes Thai Women I have to get permission from my husband or mother-in-law for every decision. 4 3 3 2 Innovation deeply embedded in positionality. First trial often comes from their natal family’s or friends’ financial and technical support rather than their husbands. 5 5 1 Innovation means accumulation of trials at small-scale by themselves. It took ten years to step up from 1 to 3. Wife’s position should not exceed that of her husband in-laws. 1 2 4 This enables women to attribute their success to their own capacities and efforts than their husbands’; and in this way, young wives gradually gain trust and increase their autonomy in agricultural activities. 9/13

Key findings: Stories of women innovators 5 4 Loan, 36 3 2 1 A role model for other Thai women Giót, 38 Not a role model for Thai women Huyèn, 28 A Vietnamese woman (ethnic majority) 10/13

Key findings Women’s innovation deeply embedded in the positionality of individuals Their innovation tends to be incremental, small-scale, less technological and using women’s own innovation network rather than formal institutes. It takes a long time to see fruitful outcomes but it is a sure method that many women can try without a risk of failure thereby lowering their bargaining power. It is a powerful approach in the sense that it strengthens the position of women in the family while improving the household economy. What does innovation for women’s empowerment mean in this situation? 11/13

Implications for agricultural interventions 12/13 • Women are not a homogenous group of marginalized people and innovation is embedded in their positionality. Identifying key innovators in local contexts is useful to introducing innovation through the existing women’s innovation processes. • Both men and women are very well aware of their own capacities to invest in new agricultural practices not simply in a financial aspect but more importantly from the perspective of their autonomy and confidence – reminding us that the current low adoption of technologies is not about lack of information, skills and money but about social. Without changing approaches, adoption of technologies will not succeed. • Transforming gender research – shifting from looking at the existing technological innovation to local perceptions and processes of innovation

Questions and Discussion (40 min) 13/13 The brief on this case study is available at CGIAR Humid. Tropics website. http: //humidtropics. iita. org/share/s/Qmsh. LQRb. Qaew 1 Yr. Gam. Ui. KA Discussion: We would like CGIAR innovations to better support women and men farmers who have been marginalized from conventional intervention approaches. What can be the roles of qualitative and/or quantitative research on gender to inform CG scientists?

Summary of discussions 1 Edward: We CGIAR scientists need to learn different types of women and men’ s innovation perceptions and approaches as you said women are not a homogenous group and understand how those differences are determined by and determine positionalities. That is a way to move forward to identify appropriate approaches for interventions. Those women in your case study are very comfortable to be in this relative networks and do not want to change. We could consider social learning approaches. Kris from CIAT: Your research shows that women are very active agent who are keen on learning new things (from their own network and learning methods). In interventions on pests and diseases management, women are excluded and there is little gender aspects. Qualitative gender research to understand local perceptions and knowledge sharing systems is very important for this sector. Tatiana: CGIAR often focuses on men’s innovation (without questioning). Studies with deeper analysis of understanding processes of innovation is very useful, explaining why some people are adopted and others are not. Ann: Women learn from the natal family but the natal family (sisters and mothers) also have daughter-in-law'. Is cross-learning happening? Nozomi – yes it is happening beyond the village across provinces and intergenerationally, indicating that informal family network is very strong for women as innovation processes. Cecilia: what is a political context? Do you think are there still opportunities for women to get step 1 to step 5? Nozomi: In socialist context, the government is reinforcing patriarchal structure but I believe that if we engage men and understand women’s empowerment processes in this context, we can make a difference to support women.

Summary of discussion 2 Esther: Ethnic minorities left behind. What is the situation? It is not like Africa. There are particular minority groups who are politically and geographically marginalized. They are very conservative and remain as poor. Esther comment: Revealing women’s innovation processes and identifying opportunity structures for women (GENNOVATE has also showing the similar findings) is an important and have a strong message to CGIAR. A big challenge is M&E. How we can assess the impact of this approach? Very difficult – but if we use the existing masculine M&E we cannot assess. Carolyne (message): I liked your conclusion that innovation is deeply embedded in positionality. It seems in starting to move ahead with your discussion questions with the group the issues are how to rethink technological packages both in terms of content and delivery. I think it is worth developing new strategies to combine the scientific work at the CGIARs with local knowledge networks and local knowledge. I appreciate how you have discovered how these local processes of innovation work and are constrained. Excellent job and sorry I couldn’t ask questions or comment. You have really moved the conversation forward. Thanks again, Carolyn My CIP colleague from Philippines: we worked a lot in groups for capacity building in rural communities including innovations, introduction of technologies. FBS is an example. I think this is very different in Vietnam, especially in ethnic communities. But, what do you think of introducing innovations via organizations/groups? Nozomi answer: I think in the context of Philippines and Bangladesh, and some sub-Saharan Africa, group activities work for most of women and working through groups is option to deliver innovations to women. But we always need to critically think of those marginalized who do not have confidence in participating in groups. Those who cannot participate in group activities often learn from sisters and friends and we cannot underestimate the impact of relative networks on disseminating technologies.