Conceptualizing intra-household gender roles and power dynamics within the Cassava food value chains: lessons from qualitative evidence among Tanzanian smallholder farmers

Abstract

Most subsistence crops that fall in low-value chains, such as cassava, are controlled mainly by women; hence, intra-household gender roles and power dynamics are complex and depend on socio-economic and cultural contexts. Cassava food value chains contribute to the immediate food and income household needs of marginalized and vulnerable rural communities where agriculture is a significant livelihood. However, few studies have explicitly documented how perceived low value agricultural commodity value chains transform intra-household social relations and resource ownership, benefit sharing, and how, in turn, these value chains are affected by these micro-level processes. The primary objective in designing this framework was to highlight the importance of gendered interactions at the microscale through an analysis of the changing roles, responsibilities, and bargaining power of women and men within the cassava value chains at the household level. A cross sectional survey involving focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and an ethnographic approach was undertaken using repeated household visits during data collection.