Picking the best tools for making value chain development interventions inclusive and gender equitable

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by Kate Ambler and Jennifer Twyman
OPEN ACCESS | CC-BY-4.0

“Women cannot ride bicycles” and “women should not interact with men to negotiate prices” are widely held beliefs in Burkina Faso. These prejudices prevent Burkinabe women working in gum production from bringing their products to lucrative markets and negotiating attractive prices with men buyers. In Honduras, other gender norms, such as the sentiment that women have smaller, nimbler fingers that are better suited to separating cashew nuts from their shells, can dictate the type of work that women (and men) can get and the income they can earn.

In northern Mali, women have been pushed into charcoal production as droughts have become more frequent and men have migrated away from their rural homes. However, due to their lack of political connections, these women are unable to obtain the necessary production permits and have been relegated to informal value chains and less profitable markets.

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