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# farmers they are trying to serve.

2.67 This technical strategy can be an effective, pragmatic approach. The rational, even-handed image that the extension service projects engenders support by local people and national decision-makers alike. A more vociferous orientation toward "women-first" would receive far less support from the village to the national level. It would probably lower the morale within the male contingent of the extension service itself. And, in all likelihood, it would lead to classifying the service as "women's extension" with all of the marginalizing tendencies associated with that notion. 2.68 Nevertheless, this technical orientation has its drawbacks, particularly in the data that; MIDENO collects for monitoring and evaluating extension. For those targets dealing with women that are specifically mentioned in the planning documents, like recruitment of women VEWs, data is collected and reported regularly. But for those areas where women are simply a part of an overall target dealing with farmers generally, gender is not seen as a relevant characteristic, and consequently disaggregated data is usually unavailable.17

# .Reaches Women Farmers...

2.69 Because of the long-standing vacancies in MIDENO's Planning, Evaluation, and Monitoring unit, and the effects of budget reductions, data on the impact of the extension service on farmers in general, and women farmers in particular is not as comprehensive as one would like. Even so, a careful reading of the available evidence is convincing that wmen. as well as men. are benefiting from MIDENO's aDDroach to extension.

2.70 First of all, women, as well as men, are receiving extension information. ..n early survey of extension performance (MIDENO, 1985a), showed little difference between males and females in the scores they gave in response to questions about their contact with the VEW. This meant that men and women were just as likely to know the name of the VEW, to have been visited by an extension agent, to have attended an extension group meeting, or to have received training in some improved farming technique.

2.71 A similar, but more comprehensive, survey of extension performance in 1987 produced similar results (MIDENO, 1987b). The survey of 650 farmers (402 men and 148 women) revealed that all the men and women surveyed were able to correctly identify the name of their VEW. Other data are presented in Table 10. It can be seen that on every food crop-related indicator, a higher percentage of women than men had received advice. Particularly impressive are the results that almost 92 percent of the women farmers had received advice on maize, that 99 percent of them adrpted the extension package, and 92 percent of those received increased maize yields.

> 17 It is lronic that given **KIDNO' a** remarkable **success** reaching **womn,** not **only ln extenLon,** but **in other** agriLcultural **activities as well,** Lts gender-specific **data** La so **limited.** It **ia all the mro** lronLe **because disagregating data** by gender would not be particularly difficult. **For examle, all the** gender-disaggregated **data** presented **in** Tables 6-10 **ce-m** fro retabulating existing **data.** It **was** only **a** matter of asking **the** question.