New Technologies are Ploughing the Way for Women’s Empowerment
Women take on gender roles previously restricted to men
In the Atabu United Farmer Field School group, with a women focused membership, the attention is on gender empowerment. The women in Atabu parish, Bata Sub county, Uganda, have been turning the conventional roles of women upside down by performing farm duties traditionally thought only to be meant for men.
With the use of two oxen and an ox-plough, the women of the Atabu United Farmer Field School group are using draught animal technology (DAT) to efficiently plough, weed and seed their fields. Draught animal technology (DAT) is playing a central role in agriculture transformation for traditional, small-scale farmers. It is a farming method, whereby the use of animals, to draw simple equipment, can be used to plough and conserve the land. Draught animal technology (DAT) is a very effective and affordable way of improving the soil moisture content of the water catchment and encouraging increased crop production.
Female farmers actively participate in making the yolk for animal traction
Female farmers join their male counter parts in ploughing
Having adopted the draught animal technology (DAT), the women of the Atabu United Farmer Field School group have seen increased yields while reducing the hours of labour previously experienced. This allows the women more time to manage their households. The biggest benefit of reducing labour can be seen through the children who previously, during planting and harvesting season, would be required to miss school in order to help on the farm.
Following the recent training on draught animal technology (DAT), female farmers have become more efficient in their farming practices and with the increased yields that they are experiencing are planning to increase their acreage in the subsequent seasons!
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