Page 43 103. Women's needs. Available research indicates that women often have a broader range of concerns than men. They often grow a wider variety of crops, as they provide for the family and sometimes the market as well. They also often tend small anil±s, and veterinary services are sometimes not covered by extension systems that focus on crops. Women also have a variety of household chores and family concerns, especially nutrition. Such extension as has been provided for women has often focused on "home econo.mics," covering some of these issues. No doubt useful extension advice can be provided about home-based tasks, particularly the time-consuming ones. But "home economics" advice, like other extension advice, must be practiced. It may be sensible to integrate advice on agriculture with advice on home economics but system overload is a real threat when programs try to "advise on everything." 104. Delivery systems. Two points deserve considerine as a start: whether women can receive advice from male extension agents, and whether women can<sup>be</sup> reached effectively in groups. Several studies suggest that in many cultures, female farmers prefer working with female extension agents. In almost any culture, female agents can help inform their male colleagues about the special tasks of female farmers. But almost all extension services are staffed primarily by men, except for a comparatively small group of "home economists," and as a practical matter they will be for some time. Extension programs are already expensive, and it is unrealistic to expect to adjust staffing patterns more than gradually. The question is, what may the "optimal mix" of male and female agents eventually be, and what can be done in the meantifme to bring extension to today's female farmers?

105. In many cultures -- in Kenya, for example, and parts of Nigeria and Mexico -- women can generally work with male agents with no difficulty. In-.some cultures they can do so in carefully defined circumstances (for example, in groups or with the approval of local leaders or after an appropriate introduction). And in some relatively restricted cultures -- for example in Yemen and Northern Nigeria -- they must be served by female extension agents. In those cultures, however, it is also often difficult to develop a cadre of female agents and to post them in rural areas. The same cultural constraints that require women to speak only to women agents discourage women from seeking employment as agents who must travel. But many extension services are gradually adding female extension agents, and even where women farmers can work with male extension agents, this may be a sensible step. The female agents do seem to work more easily with women farmers in many areas: if only a few female agents are available in the near term, one possibility is to use them especially to introduce extension (and male agents) to women farmers. Female agents do inform their male colleagues in extension about the needs of women farmers. One possibility is to include women as specialized advisors or "subject matter sRecialists" on WID to back up the front line agents with help on issues of particular concern to women.

106. Women's groups. Evidence is sketchy but suggests that it may often be cost-effective for extension agents to work more with women's groups -- agents can reach women cost-effectively in groups of 10 to 20. In many parts of the world, certainly including Africa and parts of South Asia, women traditionally form such groups to work on a variety of Rroblems (for example, to learn health