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permission were granted, unfortunate dynamics may result. Women in many tribes have been sociali7ed to be deferential to men, particularly to those in positions of traditional or civil authority, by not speaking, not asking questions, and certainly not challenging or demanding solutions to their problems.15 This submissive behavior does not lead to the type of trust or give-and-take that is the foundation of a successful extension program.

2.63 The reverse case has also been known to create problems. Wives are likely to be suspicious of female VEWs, and the men find it difficult to take her recommendations seriously. This would be especially true if the advice dealt with cash or other crops that are considered a male preserve.

2.64 Given these dynamics, the objectives of gender-targeting is to establish trust and credibility, and to build the foundation of two-way communication between the agent and farmer in a supportive and genial environment. This approach is not a retreat to a separate -- potentially unequal and e sily marginalized -- women's extension service. As has already been noted, women VEWs have the same qualifications and receive the same training as their male counterparts so the advice they give is as technically rich, in an agricultural sense, as that offered by male VEWs. But above all. gendertargeting is only te_morarY.

2.65 Gender-targeting has not proven necessary throughout the North West Province. In areas where group cohesion is already strong and where groups, particularly women's groups, have been the focus of community- or cooperativedevelopment efforts, gender-targeting has not been needed. Extension efforts start further along since groups have already experienced and developed confidence in opposite-sex animators and have established two-way information flows. In other areas, where groups are not extensive, where group cohesion is low, or where past experience with group-based development has been negative, gender-targeting has been necessary and successful .<sup>16</sup>

# ... A Technical Aiproach to Gender...

2.66 From the initial Plan PAR to the redesign in Plan MIDENO to various training documents, a major stated aim of the extension service has been to reach women farmers. This aim stems directly from a recognition that women are the major growers of food crops in the province. And as food crops are a major concern of the MIDENO project, the extension service has done what it can to reach them. In this it has adopted a technical, pragmatic strategy based on efficiency criteria rather than ideology. The extension service is not trying to reach women farmers out of a desire to guarantee women's agriculture-based income or because it wants to empower women. Rather, the extension service is trying to reach women because they are clearly an important segment of the 15 **In a** study of extensLon in **Tanzania,** LouLse Fortmann (1982) found that **in** m_etings run by **a male agent. a male farmer was** seven times **more** likely to speak than **a** women.

16 **These** conditions **prevall in** Idop subdivision, an orea that **has been** recently populated by expanding populations from **a** number of surrounding **tribes.** Thus Bdop **has** no history of group-based efforts, it **ts** culturally **diverse, and ham lLmit*d group cohesion. VEWs** have only recently **been** posted to Ndop **and** ln response to **the anticipated** problem **with** cross-gender comunication, expect to adopt gender-targeting. **If** on, Lt will be the largest single **application** of the approach in **the province** to **date.**