IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v14y2024i2p21582440241239128.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding Agency Within Context: The Case of Breeding Cooperatives Program for Transforming Small Ruminant Value Chain in Ethiopia

Author

Listed:
  • Wole Kinati
  • Elizabeth C. Temple
  • Derek Baker
  • Dina Najjar
  • Reta Hailu

Abstract

The role of agency in women’s empowerment, whether individual or collective, has long been at the center of feminist discourse. Although, highly context dependent, studies on agency are less contextualized. Based on mixed methods, we generated in-depth understandings of what constitutes agency in livestock-based institutions, and associated contextual factors across three regions. Agency, the ability to make effective participation, conceptualization is based on four main dimensions, in turn associated with key agency enabling resources. The agency-enabling resources such as years of schooling, land holding, sheep flock size, number of women in the leadership committee, along with location and distance to extension services variables were associated with the ability to effectively participate. Study participants are aware of the influence of normative environment but lack the power to challenge it. If supported and used as a means, the collective action, breeding cooperative, itself could potentially generate its members such power.

Suggested Citation

  • Wole Kinati & Elizabeth C. Temple & Derek Baker & Dina Najjar & Reta Hailu, 2024. "Understanding Agency Within Context: The Case of Breeding Cooperatives Program for Transforming Small Ruminant Value Chain in Ethiopia," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(2), pages 21582440241, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:14:y:2024:i:2:p:21582440241239128
    DOI: 10.1177/21582440241239128
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/21582440241239128
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/21582440241239128?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Solava Ibrahim & Sabina Alkire, 2007. "Agency and Empowerment: A Proposal for Internationally Comparable Indicators," Oxford Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(4), pages 379-403.
    2. Shireen J. Jejeebhoy & Zeba A. Sathar, 2001. "Women's Autonomy in India and Pakistan: The Influence of Religion and Region," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 27(4), pages 687-712, December.
    3. Sarah Gammage & Naila Kabeer & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers, 2016. "Voice and Agency: Where Are We Now?," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 1-29, January.
    4. Dagne MOJO & Christian FISCHER & Terefe DEGEFA, 2016. "Collective Action And Aspirations: The Impact Of Cooperatives On Ethiopian Coffee Farmers Aspirations," Annals of Public and Cooperative Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 87(2), pages 217-238, December.
    5. Cecile Jackson, 2013. "Cooperative Conflicts and Gender Relations: Experimental Evidence from Southeast Uganda," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(4), pages 25-47, October.
    6. Masakure, Oliver & Henson, Spencer, 2005. "Why do small-scale producers choose to produce under contract? Lessons from nontraditional vegetable exports from Zimbabwe," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1721-1733, October.
    7. Lone Badstue & Patti Petesch & Cathy Rozel Farnworth & Lara Roeven & Mahlet Hailemariam, 2020. "Women Farmers and Agricultural Innovation: Marital Status and Normative Expectations in Rural Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-22, November.
    8. Kinati, Wole & Mulema, Annet & Desta, Hiwot & Alemu, Biruk & Wieland, Barbara, 2018. "Does participation of household members in small ruminant management activities vary by agro-ecologies and category of respondents? Evidence from Rural Ethiopia," Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security (Agri-Gender), Africa Centre for Gender, Social Research and Impact Assessment, vol. 3(2), December.
    9. Allendorf, Keera, 2007. "Do Women's Land Rights Promote Empowerment and Child Health in Nepal?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1975-1988, November.
    10. Lucia Hanmer & Jeni Klugman, 2016. "Exploring Women's Agency and Empowerment in Developing Countries: Where do we stand?," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(1), pages 237-263, January.
    11. Lim, Sung Soo & Winter-Nelson, Alex & Arends-Kuenning, Mary, 2007. "Household Bargaining Power and Agricultural Supply Response: Evidence from Ethiopian Coffee Growers," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 1204-1220, July.
    12. Andrea Cornwall & Jenny Edwards, 2010. "Introduction: Negotiating Empowerment," IDS Bulletin, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 41(2), pages 1-9, March.
    13. Haroon Sseguya & Robert E. Mazur & Betty Wells & Frank Matsiko, 2015. "Quality of participation in community groups in Kamuli District, Uganda: implications for policy and practice," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 46(1), pages 14-25, February.
    14. Naila Kabeer, 1999. "Resources, Agency, Achievements: Reflections on the Measurement of Women's Empowerment," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 30(3), pages 435-464, July.
    15. Melaku Abegaz & Hossein Eftekari, 2022. "Gender achievement gap in the national secondary education examination in Ethiopia," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 49(8), pages 1195-1212, March.
    16. Ruth Alsop & Mette Bertelsen & Jeremy Holland, 2006. "Empowerment in Practice : From Analysis to Implementation," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 6980.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Seymour, Greg & Peterman, Amber, 2018. "Context and measurement: An analysis of the relationship between intrahousehold decision making and autonomy," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 97-112.
    2. Trommlerová, Sofia Karina & Klasen, Stephan & Leßmann, Ortrud, 2015. "Determinants of Empowerment in a Capability-Based Poverty Approach: Evidence from The Gambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 1-15.
    3. Karimli, Leyla & Lecoutere, Els & Wells, Christine R. & Ismayilova, Leyla, 2021. "More assets, more decision-making power? Mediation model in a cluster-randomized controlled trial evaluating the effect of the graduation program on women's empowerment in Burkina Faso," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    4. Els Lecoutere & Lan Chu, 2024. "Supporting women's empowerment by changing intra‐household decision‐making: A mixed‐methods analysis of a field experiment in rural south‐west Tanzania," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 42(3), May.
    5. Joseph Deutsch & Jacques Silber, 2017. "Does women's empowerment affect the health of children?: The case of Mozambique," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2017-211, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    6. Ramzi Mabsout, 2011. "Capability and Health Functioning in Ethiopian Households," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(3), pages 359-389, May.
    7. Alkire, Sabina & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Peterman, Amber & Quisumbing, Agnes & Seymour, Greg & Vaz, Ana, 2013. "The Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 71-91.
    8. O'Hara, Corey & Clement, Floriane, 2018. "Power as agency: A critical reflection on the measurement of women’s empowerment in the development sector," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 111-123.
    9. Sojin Yu & Feinian Chen & Sonalde Desai, 2023. "Aligning household decision-making with work and education: A comparative analysis of women’s empowerment," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 48(19), pages 513-548.
    10. Hazel Jean L. Malapit & Esha Sraboni & Agnes R. Quisumbing & Akhter U. Ahmed, 2019. "Intrahousehold empowerment gaps in agriculture and children's well‐being in Bangladesh," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 37(2), pages 176-203, March.
    11. Mishra, Khushbu & Sam, Abdoul G., 2016. "Does Women’s Land Ownership Promote Their Empowerment? Empirical Evidence from Nepal," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 360-371.
    12. Jones, Rebecca E. & Haardörfer, Regine & Ramakrishnan, Usha & Yount, Kathryn M. & Miedema, Stephanie S. & Roach, Timmie D. & Girard, Amy Webb, 2020. "Intrinsic and instrumental agency associated with nutritional status of East African women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    13. Seymour, Gregory & Peterman, Amber, 2017. "Understanding the measurement of women’s autonomy: Illustrations from Bangladesh and Ghana," IFPRI discussion papers 1656, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    14. Mara José Montenegro Guerra & Sandeep Mohapatra & Brent Swallow, 2019. "What influence do empowered women have? Land and the reality of women’s relative power in Peru," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1225-1255, December.
    15. Klein, Elise, 2014. "Psychological Agency: Evidence from the Urban Fringe of Bamako," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 642-653.
    16. Francis Tsiboe & Yacob A. Zereyesus & Jennie S. Popp & Evelyn Osei, 2018. "The Effect of Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture on Household Nutrition and Food Poverty in Northern Ghana," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 138(1), pages 89-108, July.
    17. Laszlo, Sonia & Grantham, Kate & Oskay, Ecem & Zhang, Tingting, 2020. "Grappling with the challenges of measuring women's economic empowerment in intrahousehold settings," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    18. Susana Martínez-Restrepo & Laura Ramos-Jaimes & Alma Espino & Martin Valdivia & Johanna Yancari Cueva, 2017. "Measuring women’s economic empowerment: Critical lessons from South America," INFORMES DE INVESTIGACIÓN 015825, FEDESARROLLO.
    19. Eger, Claudia & Miller, Graham & Scarles, Caroline, 2018. "Gender and capacity building: A multi-layered study of empowerment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 207-219.
    20. Claudio Araujo & Catherine Araujo-Bonjean & Victor Beguerie, 2018. "Community mills and women's empowerment in Burkina Faso," CERDI Working papers halshs-01958755, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:14:y:2024:i:2:p:21582440241239128. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.