1439 - Gender Issues in Mechancial Weeding with SRI: Insights from Odisha, India
1
Gender Issues in the Introduction of Mechanical Weeding with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Insights from Village Studies in Odisha, India Gender Issues in the Introduction of Mechanical Weeding with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Insights from Village Studies in Odisha, India 1.Sabarmatee, PhD student, Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; E Mail: [email protected] C. Shambu Prasad, Professor, Rural Management and Development, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar -751013, Odisha, India; E Mail: [email protected] (P525) Do gender and labouring bodies matter? We explored How we learnt What we found To wrap up Acknowledgement: 'Rice grows on women's backs' as women contribute 30 to 80% of the labour to grow rice. Women perform two crucial on-field tasks like transplanting and weeding in wet conditions for long hours in bending positions besides non-negotiable household and other responsibilities. Despite crucial contribution of women, discussions on labour in rice-growing have largely bypassed issues like gender and the impact of technologies on labouring bodies. We are drawing attention to these important dimensions taking the case of weeding in SRI. As an agro-ecological innovation, SRI recommends planting of young and single seedling, widely spaced, in non-inundated field condition. Besides aeration and incorporation of weeds in soil, frequent mechanical weeding to control potentially increased weed infestation impacts labouring bodies and leads to diverse gender ramifications. - How introduction of weeders and weeding schedules with SRI practice affect gender-wise work participation and labourer's bodies across geographies? - How bodily experiences shape weeding tools and schedules? Three villages were selected for study (in 2011-12 wet season) in costal Ganjam, hilly Kandhamal and mountainous Koraput districts in Odisha, India with diverse social and agro-ecological characteristics, rice- growing practices, and SRI histories. Twenty farm households practicing SRI were randomly selected from each village for intensive study (n=60, cultivated rice in 545 plots). Tools like Focus Group Discussions, individual interviews, story-telling, participant observation, Rapid Comparative Pain Assessment, some ergonomic measurements and other work-related measurements were employed for data collection. - Both men and women were found participating in mechanical weeding though manual weeding continued to be women's job as before. - Degree of participation of men and women in mechanical weeding and pursuit of weeding schedules are dynamic and found to be different in 2011 and 12. Following factors shape gender-wise participation in mechanical weeding. · Environmental dynamics: Weed type and growth, water regime, soil type · Household and social dynamics: Negotiation among household members, customary gender roles in weeding, institutional membership, livelihood strategy of men and women · Extension dynamics: Availability, adequacy, accessibility, ownership and management of weeders, clientele of trainings, clientele of incentives · Engineering dynamics: Design of weeders and ergonomics - Changing gender roles however, could not : · Influence deep-rooted gender-specific wage asymmetries although both do equal work and · Ensure men's participation in manual weeding during transitional period. - Not only users, women's groups emerged as managers of common resources like weeders where they are involved in decision making, training, management of weeders. - Reduction in work time, change in posture and participation of men reduced drudgery of women, but increased men's drudgery. - However, Work –rest rhythms, postures, work environment, span of work time differ which have synergetic impact on body than short period energy use expressed in SpO2 and PRbpm . - Introduction of specific models of weeders (like Mandva model that solves the purpose and cause less pain to users) enabled both genders to undertake mechanical weeding, mainly in family farms. - Bodily experiences play a determining role in use/rejection/acceptance of models of weeders. (Cono model rejected causing more pain to users' bodies, but Mandva model was accepted) Gender-wise work participation and bodies are affected differently by agricultural technologies in their social-material context which affect technologies in turn. The study suggests for: - integrating gender and physical issues with interdisciplinary approach in agricultural technology evaluation, - involving men and women in choice, design/ development and application of gender-sensitive technologies, - steering innovative extension and scaling-up strategies, incentive structures for better organisation of labour to use the benefits of technology like SRI. We are thankful to Dutch Organisation for Global Development Programme (NWO -WOTRO), Netherlands for financial support for the study (Grant no. W 01.65.328.00, 2010-2014) and all others who supported our effort during the journey. Please visit our team’s work: 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Men Women Men Women Men Wo men P e r c e n t o f l a b o u r e r s Gender and village Fig ur e 1: Percent of men and women engaged in all weedings across villages Mechnical Manual n= 645 labourers engaged in weeding Source: Field observation and individual interviews, 2012 Variables Sample size , gender 15 , Women Method of sample selection Random Period of test August 2013 Range of age 18-40 Range of weight 38-72 Range of height 4.8 -5.5 Type of tool Mandva weeder Type of measuring instrument used Oxymeter No. of reading taken (per person at a gap of 3 mnts) 4 Findings Manual weeding Mechanical weeding Range of SpO2 (Oxygen Saturation Level) 93 - 99 92-100 Average SpO2 96 96 Range of Prbpm (Pulse rate per minute ) 75-160 76-184 Average PRbpm 117.5 130 Particulars Gender, Method of cultivation Conventional SRI Men Manual No participation- no pain Normally No participation- No pain, Sometimes when participate get pain in back, legs, knees Use of weeder Not used - no pain Back, Shoulders, Hand, Palm New – injury by weeders Women Manual Knee, Thighs, Back Shoulder , Feet, Area under bangles, Area between fingers of hands and legs, Abrasion in skin - Severe Knee, Thighs, Back, Shoulder, Feet, Abrasion in skin - Less (Weeder use reduced amount of work) Use of weeder Not used - no pain Shoulder, Chest, Hands, Legs, Back New – injury by weeders • Manual handling of materials differ and is less – handling weeder, not grasses in mechanical weeding, no change in manual weeding • Work time per unit of land is less, speed is more (16-25 hrs / ac), (30-50 mtrs x 18-20 cms/ minute) - in SRI at one time (Up to 150 hrs / ac), (1 sq mtr max / minute)- in conv. • Work environment is better and time remaining in that environment is less • Some men participate in weeding • Posture changes with use of weeder (model -specific) BUT Recommendations could not be followed by all farmers due to various reasons Hence gender-wise bodily (physical) experiences vary 4 Gender-wise Cross-technology Pain Experience of Labourers Engaged in Weeding Physical Experiences (Energy Use) of Women Using Mechanical Weeders MANDVA WEEDER CONO WEEDER DIFFERENT WEEDER MODELS FOUND IN VILLAGES ANGUL BALASORE MAYURBHANJ KEONJHAR BHADRAK KENDRAPARA DHENKANAL SUNDARGARH DEOGARH SAMBALPUR JHARSUGUDA BARGARH SONEPUR BOLANGIR NUAPARA KALAHANDI NABARANGPUR MALKANGIRI RAYAGADA GAJAPATI GANJAM KANDHAMAL NAYAGARH BOUDH CUTTACK KHURDHA PURI JAGATSINGHPUR JAJPUR KORAPUT Research Sites Odisha India Odisha Oral Presentation:(IRC14-0694, C03-2, Wednesday 14:30, Room GH 203), Oral Presentation: (IRC14-0668 C06-1, Friday 11:10, Room MR 222) Posters: P582/ IRC14-0614, P564/ IRC14-1041
-
Upload
sri-rice-international-programs-cals-cornell-university -
Category
Technology
-
view
161 -
download
1
description
Poster presentation at the 4th International Rice Congress (2014) Title: Gender Issues in the Introduction of Mechanical Weeding with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI): Insights from Village Studies in Odisha, India Presenter: Sabarmatee Venue: BITEC, Bangkok, Thailand Dates: October 27-31, 2014
Transcript of 1439 - Gender Issues in Mechancial Weeding with SRI: Insights from Odisha, India
Gender Issues in the Introduction of Mechanical Weeding
with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI):
Insights from Village Studies in Odisha, India
Gender Issues in the Introduction of Mechanical Weeding
with the System of Rice Intensification (SRI):
Insights from Village Studies in Odisha, India
1.Sabarmatee, PhD student, Knowledge, Technology and Innovation Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands; E Mail: [email protected]. Shambu Prasad, Professor, Rural Management and Development, Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar -751013, Odisha, India; E Mail: [email protected]
(P525)
Do gender and labouring bodies matter?
We explored
How we learnt
What we found
To wrap up
Acknowledgement:
'Rice grows on women's backs' as women contribute 30 to 80% of the labour to grow rice. Women perform two crucial on-field tasks like transplanting and weeding in wet conditions for long hours in bending positions besides non-negotiable household and other responsibilities. Despite crucial contribution of women, discussions on labour in rice-growing have largely bypassed issues like gender and the impact of technologies on labouring bodies. We are drawing attention to these important dimensions taking the case of weeding in SRI.As an agro-ecological innovation, SRI recommends planting of young and single seedling, widely spaced, in non-inundated field condition. Besides aeration and incorporation of weeds in soil, frequent mechanical weeding to control potentially increased weed infestation impacts labouring bodies and leads to diverse gender ramifications.
- How introduction of weeders and weeding schedules with SRI practice affect gender-wise work participation and labourer's bodies across geographies? - How bodily experiences shape weeding tools and schedules?
Three villages were selected for study (in 2011-12 wet season) in costal Ganjam, hilly Kandhamal and mountainous Koraput districts in Odisha, India with diverse social and agro-ecological characteristics, rice-growing practices, and SRI histories. Twenty farm households practicing SRI were randomly selected from each village for intensive study (n=60, cultivated rice in 545 plots). Tools like Focus Group Discussions, individual interviews, story-telling, participant observation, Rapid Comparative Pain Assessment, some ergonomic measurements and other work-related measurements were employed for data collection.
- Both men and women were found participating in mechanical weeding though manual weeding continued to be women's job as before.
- Degree of participation of men and women in mechanical weeding and pursuit of weeding schedules are dynamic and found to be different in 2011 and 12. Following factors shape gender-wise participation in mechanical weeding.
· Environmental dynamics: Weed type and growth, water regime, soil type· Household and social dynamics: Negotiation among household members, customary gender roles in weeding, institutional membership, livelihood
strategy of men and women· Extension dynamics: Availability, adequacy, accessibility, ownership and management of weeders, clientele of trainings, clientele of incentives · Engineering dynamics: Design of weeders and ergonomics
- Changing gender roles however, could not :· Influence deep-rooted gender-specific wage asymmetries although both do equal work and · Ensure men's participation in manual weeding during transitional period.
- Not only users, women's groups emerged as managers of common resources like weeders where they are involved in decision making, training, management of weeders.
- Reduction in work time, change in posture and participation of men reduced drudgery of women, but increased men's drudgery.
- However, Work –rest rhythms, postures, work environment, span of work time differ which have synergetic impact on body than short period energy use expressed in SpO2 and PRbpm .
- Introduction of specific models of weeders (like Mandva model that solves the purpose and cause less pain to users) enabled both genders to undertake mechanical weeding, mainly in family farms.
- Bodily experiences play a determining role in use/rejection/acceptance of models of weeders. (Cono model rejected causing more pain to users' bodies, but Mandva model was accepted)
Gender-wise work participation and bodies are affected differently by agricultural technologies in their social-material context which affect technologies in turn. The study suggests for:- integrating gender and physical issues with interdisciplinary approach in agricultural technology evaluation, - involving men and women in choice, design/ development and application of gender-sensitive technologies, - steering innovative extension and scaling-up strategies, incentive structures for better organisation of labour to use the benefits of technology like SRI.
We are thankful to Dutch Organisation for Global Development Programme (NWO -WOTRO), Netherlands for financial support for the study (Grant no. W 01.65.328.00, 2010-2014) and all others who supported our effort during the journey.
Please visit our team’s work:
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Men Women Men Women Men Women
Percent of labourers
Gender and village
Figure 1: Percent of men and women engaged in all weedings across villages
Mechnical
Manual
n= 645 labourers engaged in weeding Source: Field observation and individual interviews, 2012
Variables
Sample size , gender 15 , Women
Method of sample selection Random
Period of test August 2013
Range of age 18-40
Range of weight 38-72
Range of height 4.8 -5.5
Type of tool Mandva weeder
Type of measuring instrument used
Oxymeter
No. of reading taken (per person at a gap of 3 mnts)
4
Findings Manual weeding
Mechanical weeding
Range of SpO2 (Oxygen Saturation Level) 93 - 99 92-100
Average SpO2 96 96
Range of Prbpm (Pulse rate per minute ) 75-160 76-184
Average PRbpm 117.5 130
Particulars Gender, Method of cultivation
Conventional SRI
Men
Manual No participation- no pain
Normally No participation- No pain, Sometimes when participate get pain in back, legs,knees
Use of weeder
Not used - no pain Back, Shoulders, Hand, PalmNew – injury by weeders
Women
Manual Knee, Thighs, Back Shoulder ,Feet, Area under bangles, Area between fingers of hands and legs, Abrasion in skin - Severe
Knee, Thighs, Back, Shoulder,Feet, Abrasion in skin - Less
(Weeder use reduced amount of work)
Use of weeder
Not used - no pain Shoulder, Chest, Hands, Legs, BackNew – injury by weeders
• Manual handling of materials differ and is less –handling weeder, not grasses in mechanical weeding, no change in manual weeding
• Work time per unit of land is less, speed is more (16-25 hrs / ac), (30-50 mtrs x 18-20 cms/ minute) - in SRI at one time(Up to 150 hrs / ac), (1 sq mtr max / minute)- in conv.
• Work environment is better and time remaining in that environment is less
• Some men participate in weeding• Posture changes with use of weeder (model -specific)
BUTRecommendations could not be followed by all farmers
due to various reasonsHence gender-wise bodily (physical) experiences vary
4
Gender-wise Cross-technology Pain Experience of Labourers Engaged in Weeding
Physical Experiences (Energy Use) of Women Using Mechanical Weeders
MANDVA WEEDER CONO WEEDERDIFFERENT WEEDER MODELS FOUND IN VILLAGES
ANGUL
BALASORE
MAYURBHANJ
KEONJHAR
BHADRAK
KENDRAPARA
DHENKANAL
SUNDARGARH
DEOGARH
SAMBALPUR
JHARSUGUDA
BARGARH
SONEPUR
BOLANGIRNUAPARA
KALAHANDI
NABARANGPUR
MALKANGIRI
RAYAGADA
GAJAPATI
GANJAM
KANDHAMAL
NAYAGARH
BOUDH
CUTTACK
KHURDHA
PURI
JAGATSINGHPUR
JAJPUR
KORAPUT
Research Sites
Odisha
India
Odisha
Oral Presentation:(IRC14-0694, C03-2, Wednesday 14:30, Room GH 203), Oral Presentation: (IRC14-0668 C06-1, Friday 11:10, Room MR 222)Posters: P582/ IRC14-0614, P564/ IRC14-1041
