Navigating social expectations: the gendered impact of men’s rural-to-urban migration on banana-cultivating households in Burundi

In Burundi, low agricultural productivity, high population density, and land scarcity are pushing rural men to leave their villages in search of income-earning opportunities in urban areas. This study investigates the implications of Burundian men’s rapidly increasing rural-to-urban migration in the context of banana cultivation, traditionally considered a ‘men’s crop’. This case study draws upon a sequential and mixed-methods research design involving 29 semi-structured interviews, 6 focus group discussions, and a household survey (N = 180). It aimed to examine power dynamics, gender norms, and intrahousehold practices related to banana management in the presence and absence of men on farms. Study findings show how household-level structural and relational changes induced by male out-migration challenge men’s hegemony over the banana crop. In the absence of their migrant husbands, wives tend to become the primary decision-makers over the banana crop, and increasingly take up roles and tasks traditionally reserved for men. This can have positive outcomes for women’s livelihoods and agency, and encourage increased investment in banana cultivation, but can also lead to social backlash against women who defy or bend gender norms. Moreover, in this context, women’s increased decision-making power is temporal, and frequently ceded to men upon their return. We suggest that gender transformative approaches could help to mitigate these risks while encouraging more just and joint household decision-making, including about banana crops. Finally, the study emphasizes the nuanced, multiple, and dynamic nature of gender roles and norms, reflecting men’s and women’s realities as heterogeneous groups with divergent lived experiences.

Iradukunda, F.; Rietveld, A.; Zaremba, H.