Agricultural cooperatives and social empowerment of women: a Ugandan case study

Abstract

This article presents a case study of Manyakabi Area Cooperative Enterprise in south-western Uganda, which shows that benefits from agricultural cooperatives can extend beyond monetary tangibles. We discuss several social factors that women members claimed have improved since they became members of the cooperative, including their confidence, their negotiating skills, the ability to be of service to their communities through transferring skills to non-members, and the ability to take control of certain household decisions when dealing with men. We conclude that these social benefits could be enhanced if they were fully acknowledged as important by agents of change.

Coopératives agricoles et autonomisation sociale des femmes: étude de cas d'Ouganda

Cet article présente une étude de cas de la Manyakabi Area Cooperative Enterprise, dans le sud-ouest de l'Ouganda, qui montre que les avantages découlant des coopératives agricoles peuvent s’étendre au-delà des aspects monétaires tangibles. Nous discutons de plusieurs facteurs sociaux qui, selon les femmes membres, se sont améliorés depuis qu'elles se sont jointes à la coopérative, y compris leur assurance, leurs compétences de négociation, l'aptitude à rendre service à leurs communautés en transférant des compétences aux non-membres, et l'aptitude à prendre le contrôle de certaines décisions concernant le ménage lorsqu'elles ont affaire à des hommes. Nous concluons que ces avantages sociaux pourraient être améliorés s'ils étaient pleinement reconnus comme importants par les agents de changement.

Cooperativas agrícolas e empoderamento social das mulheres: um estudo de caso de Uganda

Este artigo apresenta um estudo de caso da Manyakabi Area Cooperative Enterprise no sudoeste de Uganda, que mostra que os benefícios provenientes das cooperativas agrícolas podem ir além dos recursos monetários. Discutimos vários fatores sociais que as mulheres-membro disseram que têm melhorado desde que elas se tornaram membros da cooperativa, inclusive sua confiança, suas habilidades como negociadoras, a habilidade de ser prestativa a suas comunidades através da transferência de habilidades a não-membros e a habilidade de assumir o controle de certas decisões familiares quando se está lidando com homens. Concluímos que estes benefícios sociais poderiam ser ampliados se eles fossem totalmente reconhecidos como importantes por agentes de mudança.

Las cooperativas agrícolas y el empoderamiento social de la mujer: un estudio de caso de Uganda

Este ensayo examina la Empresa Cooperativa del Área de Manyakabi del suroeste de Uganda, un caso que demuestra que los beneficios de las cooperativas agrícolas no sólo son monetarios. Los autores analizan varios factores sociales que según las mujeres han mejorado desde que se afiliaron a la cooperativa, entre ellos su autoestima, su capacidad para negociar, su servicio a su comunidad capacitando a las no socias en distintos menesteres y, además, una creciente capacidad para tomar decisiones relacionadas con el hogar cuando de negociar con los hombres se trata. Los autores concluyen que estos beneficios sociales podrían fortalecerse si los agentes de cambio reconocieran la importancia que revisten.

Keywords:

• Civil society
• Gender and diversity
• Labour and livelihoods
• Sub-Saharan Africa

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the farmers within the Manyakabi Area Cooperative Enterprise for assistance during fieldwork, as well as Ugandan colleagues Clare Kabakyenga and Warren Ankwasa. They are also grateful to Amrita Daniere and Michael Bunce for useful comments on an earlier version of this paper. The Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada are thanked for their financial support. The authors remain responsible for what is reported here.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hilary Ferguson

Hilary Ferguson (corresponding author) is an MA graduate in the Department of Geography, University of Toronto.

Thembela Kepe

Thembela Kepe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography, University of Toronto. <[email protected]>