Tropentag, September 10 - 12, 2025, Bonn "Reconciling land system changes with planetary health"

Empowering women through mechanised innovation: Exploring gender dynamics in smallholder agriculture

¹University of Passau, Governanca and Public Policy, Germany
²University of Passau, Chair of Critical Development Studies, Germany
³International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Ghana
⁴International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ghana
⁵Agroscope, Integrative Agroecology, Switzerland

Abstract

Mechanisation plays a critical role in advancing sustainable intensification among smallholder farmers. However, access to mechanised implements remains uneven, particularly along gender lines. Recent efforts to enhance soil fertility and increase maize productivity through sustainable intensification led to a 13–30% rise in the harvesting workload for smallholder farmers, including maize shelling process. This activity was traditionally carried out either by beating the maize with sticks or using bare hands to shell. To reduce the physical demands and time constraints involved, the Africa RISING project introduced small-scale mechanised shellers to smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana. Despite their benefit, access and usage remain limited amongst women smallholder farmers. This study adopts Feminist Political Ecology (FPE) to understand why limited access to mechanisation amongst smallholder women farmers persists in harvesting maize. It provides insights on how gender norms, power relations, and socio-economic structures shape access to mechanised tools, reinforcing gender inequalities in agriculture. The research employs a qualitative methodology involving Key Informant Interviews (KII) and participatory ranking exercises conducted during focus group discussions with smallholder farmers. The findings reveal critical disparities in actual engagement, shaped by structural and social barriers. Women’s limited access to mechanised shellers is not only a production or distribution challenge but a reflection of deeper power imbalances in rural agricultural systems, as women have access to these implements only through men, irrespective of their personally owned resources or availability of the machinery. Moreover, women who use these implements are conscious of further harm to the soil.

Keywords: Feminist political ecology, gender, labour-saving technologies, mechanised shellers, smallholder farmers

Contact Address: Rachel Mujong, University of Passau, Governanca and Public Policy, Schönleitnerweg 14/826, 94036 Passau, Germany, e-mail: mujong01ads.uni-passau.de