Ministry of Women’s Affairs Releases Study on Women Banana Producers

Ministry of Women’s Affairs Releases Study on Women Banana Producers
Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo, January 7, 2013

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MMujer for its acronym in Spanish) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released the study “”Diagnóstico Social de las Mujeres Productoras y Trabajadoras de Banano en las Provincias de Azua, Valverde y Montecristi (social diagnostic of women banana producers and workersin the provinces of Azua, Valverde and Montecristi),” which identifies the requirements and the resources that are necessary, in terms of gender equity, to help women participate in the processes of production and commercialization of bananas.

The study describes the situation of women who belong to the Association of Banana Producers in the Provinces of Montecristi, Valverde and Azua and who participate in the implementation of the joint program …

The study describes the situation of women who belong to the Association of Banana Producers in the Provinces of Montecristi, Valverde and Azua and who participate in the implementation of the joint program “Strengthening the Banana Value Chain Through the Growth of Inclusive Markets.”

The study was oversaw by Alejandrina Germán, Minister of Women’s Affairs; Sonia Vásquez, Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); and Yanet Moreno, Consultant, who was responsible for conducting and presenting the study.

The Ministry of Women’s Affairs, a partner institution in the implementation of the gender component of the Joint Program “Strengthening the Banana Value Chain Through the Growth of Inclusive Markets,”conducted thissocial study with the purpose of obtaining information that will clarify the situation of the women who are directly involved in the production of bananas, in order to enhance the program’s gender component;to ensurethat women haveaccess to marketson equal terms; and to improvethe quality of life for the women banana producers.

The Joint Program is based on a growth strategy for inclusive markets which aims to create strategic alliances between large and medium-sized enterprises with small male and female producers and workers,with the purpose of benefitting all the participants in the banana value chain.

The Joint Program “Strengthening the Banana Value Chain Through the Growth of Inclusive Markets” is expected to promote the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at poverty relief and reduction, gender equity, women’s health, environmental sustainability, and global partnership for development.

Seven (7) agencies of the United Nations system based in the Dominican Republic participated in the implementation of this program: the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Joint United Nations Program on HIV / AIDS (UNAIDS), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO / WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the World Food Program (WFP).

In addition to the UN agencies, the Program Management Committee (CGP for its acronym in Spanish) is made of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs(MMujer), the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development (MEPyD), the National Competitiveness Council (NCC), the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI), the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Public Health and Social Welfare, the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and the Social Cabinet of the Presidency, among others.

Conclusions

• There is low participation of women in the banana-growing associations.
• Only 4% of the women producers are members of the associations’ governing boards..
• The main reason for the low participation of women is that male producersmonopolize land ownership.
• Even those land parcels that have beendistributed throughthe Agrarian Reform (in the opinion of the male and female producers that were interviewed: the plots of land and the land titles are assigned to men since they are viewedas heads of the households).
• Low impact on the decision making processes.
• The focus groups of women producers of bananas consider inequality as the main cause.
• The rate of disease acknowledged by women banana producers and workers is significantly higher:
• Given that 10.5% of respondents considered their health as poor and 47% and 20% of women producers and women workers, respectively, suffered from high blood pressure and heart disease.
• Improved strengthening of the Sexual and Reproductive Health.
• 82.6% of the female workers and 74.3% of the female producers are of reproductive age.