OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF WOMEN CASSAVA PRODUCERS IN BITYILI (SOUTH-CAMEROON) AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GENDER ROLES

Abstract

In Cameroon, rural womenhave a significant role in farming and post -harvest activities. Nevertheless, a complex set of rights and obligations reflecting social and religious norms prevail within rural communities, these dictate the division of labour between men and women and act as constraints to women farmers. In fact, women fulfil the reprod uctive roles of child bearing, home management and food provision for the family. Thus, these women are unable to exercise any influential economic voice, they can hardly earn income. Cash agriculture like cassava production provides a possible outlet for the empowerment of these women in cassava producing areas. However, this agricultural work would solve one problem for the women and create another. Any attempt to encourage these women to work outside their homes may increase their workload. This paper ex amine the situation of female cassava farmers inBityili, a village of South region of Cameroon, by evaluating the gender specificities within division of labour, daily hours, access and control of resources and benefits. To address this, 44 women cassava producers-processors were randomly selected and interviewed. Both quantitative and qualitative methodologies were used, including focus group discussions, participant observation, and semi -structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descri ptive statistics. The results show that although cassava production may have been beneficial to women and the society as a whole, it has implications for gender