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decisions are to be followed. Male extension agents, raised in the same cultural traditions, often expect women farmers to follow their directions and do not encourage their questions (Krogh, 1988; EvaLAs 1989). These problems can be relieved by arranging for women farmers to meet in separate groups and, where possible, to have female agents work with them.

1.36 Intrahousehold Transfer of Agricultural Knowledge. Development planners have assumed that information given to male farmers will be passed along to other farming members of the household. This is not often the case. Experience indicates that agricultural knowledge acqu'red by males often does à vilttage livestock livestock project in Burkina not "trickle across" effectively to Faso failed because the information and females in the family (Fortmann 1978; ISvustock lere directed at men, although Spring 1985). Men are usually not won were responsible for most of most of of the expected to share their information, livestock (sheep, goats, and poultry). The especially in a polygamous household. **assUlption that that** resources and knowtedge about It would be improper It would be improper for for a wife, a wife,smatI n did not not tivestock wiould did not not hold. Iltrickte" The women did fromi men to not especially a junior wife, to query her recelve the resources they needed to inprove husband about what he learned from the their livestock production. (Cartoni 1987> extension agent that day.

à vilttage livestock livestock project in Burkina Faso failed because the information and ISvustock lere directed at men, although won were responsible for most of most of of the small livestock (sheep, goats, and poultry). The **assUlption that that** resources and knowtedge about tivestock wiould Iltrickte" fromi men to n did not not hold. The women did not recelve the resources they needed to inprove their livestock production. (Cartoni 1987>

1.37 Men are less likely to pass information along ta women when crops or tasks are gender-specific, which is the case in much of Africa. In Malawi, for example, wives of agricultural extension group members said their husbands rarely passed advice on to them. If they did, the women had difficulty understanding the advice secondhand or did not find it relevant to their needs (Evans, 1989). Even if men were willing to teach their wives, they may simply not be familiar enough with an agricultural operation or crop to effectively transfer the information.

# Case 12. KENYA: THE RELATIV **E** FFICIENCY OF FEMALE AND MALE fANIERS

A study of the relative efficiency of feemale and mate farmers concluded that in the Vihiga Division of Western Kenya, maize yietds for women smatt hotders were 7X more than for men with the same access to extension, tand inputs, and education. (Moock 1973) Conclusion: What to Do?

1.38 What do these gender-related constraints mean for agricultural extension? For extension services to help women farmers effectively, they must reflect consideration of the particular constraints women face. There are cost-effective ways of doing this; they entail the following:

- (a) an analysis of the constraints, circumstances and agricultural activities of women farmers, and use of the knowledge and understanding gained;

- (b) an improvement in the provision of support services, particularly