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household vary, but evidence shows clearly that the number of households managed by women on a day-to-day basis is growing rapidly -- largely because men are migrating to large farms, cities or mines for work. In Kenya, for example, at least 40% of the smallholdings are managed by women (World Bank 1989). Female-headed households are particularly common in the Southern Africa Development Coordinating Conference (SADCC) countries. It is estimated that over half of rural households in Zimbabwe's Communal Areas are headed by women (Skapa 1988), and that women head one-third of rural households in Malawi (Spring 1985). Buvinic and Lycette (1988) report "From one-third to one-half of all rural households are at any one time headed by women in .... Botswana, Kenya, and Zambia.n Available data show that in rural Africa, households headed by women are poorer than those headed by men because they tend to have fewer resident workers, more dependents, and smaller landholdings. They are also much less likely to have access to productive services such as agricultural extension and credit (op. cit., p. 151).

# Case 2- **NItERMA:- h FARNERS 1U lIEO** STATE

'As C. Ohuegbe, Chief Agricutturalist, **rmo** State Agricuttural Development Project (ADP) has observed, in Ima State women contribute more to food production and famity **tabar** than men. It **is** estimated that over 95% of the rurat women are smaltscate faermes iwho produce most of the food aid bear the burden of dayto-day fami ty subsistence. According to the diagnostic surveys of the agricuttural extension zones, women perform almost atl the cuttural operations In food production. Such operations as bush cteartng, burning, ridgetmound making, planting, fertitization, weeding, harvesting, storage, processing, and marketing are carried out by women. Women atso have sote responsibility for cuttivating coopound farms (or gardens) where continuus eropping ta done with household refuse. It was against this background of active participation in food production in lmo State that this ADP decided to give futt and adequate technicat and financiat support to women farmers- f1huegbe 1989)

1.11 ImDroving Women's Productivity. The debate has evolved from the extent of women's participation n agricultural activities to a search for practical solutions as to how to cLevelop agricultural support services that can effectively make women farmers more productive. Given the evidence of women's significant responsibility for and contribution to agricultural production in Africa, one would expect women to be participating fully in developing the extension messages and in delivering those messages to farmers. Yet the evidence shows this not to be the case. Despite a growing awareness of the need to reach women farmers, extension services are still skewed toward males.

1.12 Studies indicate that male heads of household and farmers with access to resources are the primary clients of agricultural support services in Africa (Berger and others 1984). Households headed by women tend to be the least well-served and to have less access to factor and non-factor inputs (Jiggins 1986).

1.13 Communicating with women farmers: why do extension agents (EAs) tend to ignore women? Possible reasons include:

(a) The EAs' perception that women have little decision-making authority in farming.