Message 29: Gina Castillo

I would like to respond to the claim that women's contributions in agriculture are 'invisible'.

I would say that women's contribution to agriculture and irrigation are very visible. FAO has some good data on the former; I think the data on the latter is probably a bit patchy. What is true is that women's work is not acknowledged or not considered to be important. Women's work tends to be seen as "supplementary" and not vital to the household economy. So when a new technology comes along that will raise productivity, the inherent bias is to offer it to the man and not the woman. This is why Pay's comment is important. The way in which water management is taught needs to change. And yes I often hear that gender mainstreaming is donor driven. I like to think of it as the "critical dialogue" that a funding agency needs to have with a potential partner.

Gina Castillo