Les éléments de contexte

Plusieurs études de cas ont démontré les rôles actifs des femmes dans des pratiques à fort potentiel pour l’atteinte des objectifs du programme de la GMV1,2,3. Les femmes s’investissent dans des pratiques de gestion durable de terres (GDT) cohérentes avec le savoir traditionnel et efficace pour la préservation de la biodiversité (agroécologie, agroforesterie, agriculture de conservation, culture et valorisation des légumineuses, etc.)1,2,3. Elles s’organisent en groupements et participent à des entreprises rurales fournissant des produits de haute qualité environnementale. Si les femmes ont à assumer des tâches agricoles d’ordinaire dévolues aux hommes, les départs en migration pour plusieurs mois ou années des hommes et la nécessaire diversification économique a conduit à une redéfinition des rapports de genre et des hiérarchies sociales4. Les femmes peuvent avoir en charge la conduite totale ou partielle des exploitations agricoles, tout comme elles peuvent elles-aussi faire le choix d’aller chercher des ressources complémentaires en milieu urbain. Aussi elles contribuent à la sécurité alimentaire et sanitaire et à la réduction de la pauvreté rurale. Ces stratégies, connaissances et compétences féminines sont insuffisamment reconnues, excluant les femmes des bénéfices directs de la mise en œuvre des actions de la GMV. De plus les femmes font face à des contraintes culturelles, sociales et économiques limitant leurs accès à l’information, aux connaissances et aux technologies et affectant leur capacité et efficacité comme agents de la mise en œuvre du programme de la GMV. 

Several case studies have demonstrated the active roles of women in practices with high potential for achieving the objectives of the GGW program1,2,3. Women are investing in sustainable land management (SLM) practices consistent with traditional knowledge and effective for the preservation of biodiversity (agroecology, agroforestry, conservation agriculture, cultivation and valorization of legumes, etc.)1,2 ,3. They organize themselves into groups and participate in rural enterprises providing products of high environmental quality. While women have to take on agricultural tasks usually assigned to men, the departure of men on migration for several months or years and the necessary economic diversification have led to a redefinition of gender relations and social hierarchies4. Women can be in charge of the total or partial management of farms, just as they can also choose to seek additional resources in urban areas. They also contribute to food and health security and to the reduction of rural poverty. These female strategies, knowledge and skills are insufficiently recognized, excluding women from the direct benefits of the implementation of GGW actions. In addition, women face cultural, social and economic constraints limiting their access to information, knowledge and technologies and affecting their capacity and effectiveness as agents of the implementation of the GGW program.

Our objective is to critically analyze the SLM actions implemented in the GGW territories to inform the choices of the actors and highlight the opportunities and constraints related to gender inequalities. The work will be carried out by considering contrasting migratory contexts, i.e. exclusively male departure areas, mixed departure areas and areas where mobility remains limited4. The hypothesis is that the presence or absence of men, like women, leads to original socio-environmental changes. The investment of women in maintaining the production of socio-ecosystems is crucial when one is located in areas with strong migration of men, marked by the feminization of agricultural jobs on the one hand and on the other hand by a renegotiation of women’s social role and/or birth relationships in household decision-making. Similarly, if women are affected by temporary mobility practices, then they can invest within the household. More generally, the question of a process of empowerment of women is raised.

Mots-Clefs : Land restoration, gender inequalities, rural migration, agroecology