Sweetpotato marketing in Papua New Guinea: a gender perspective

Abstract

Purpose of review: Women play an important role in agricultural production and marketing. However, little research has been done to look at productivity and other issues from a gender perspective. This review looks at the role women play and issues they face in the sweetpotato supply chain in Papua New Guinea (PNG), as well as the underlying causes of gender issues and how they have been addressed by various development agencies globally and by the government in PNG. Findings: There is a clear gender division of labour in the sweetpotato supply chain in PNG and the gender-specific marketing issues facing women farmers are: poor facilities at the open markets; heavy workloads and lack of support from the family; uneven di stribution of income within the household; and intimidation and sexual harassment along the supply chain. Major contributing factor s to those issues are women's marginalisation and gender inequality existing in a traditionally a profoundly patriarchal society. Gender awareness training for participants along the supply chain and business and leadership training for women appear to be reasonable first steps to address gender inequality and to empower women in the sweetpotato supply chain. Improving market conditions is also a must because not only will it improve women's welfare and the quality of the produce, but it will also attract more sellers and more customers into the market and, hence, increase sale. Directions for future research: More research on gender relations is needed to understand how power asymmetry between men and women in the supply chain can be improved through self- and collective-empowerment and how gender mainstreaming can be operationalised in the supply chain in ways that are socially and culturally appropriate.