Changing the Landscape of Women’s Livelihoods 

Oxfam’s Experiences in Honey Value Chain Development

 Ethiopia

  

     

Oxfam’s Honey Value Chain Map

What Oxfam Works:

• Facilitates and supports organization of women beekeepers and links them to cooperatives;

  

 

    

What Oxfam Works:

• Transfers technology, knowledge and skills;

  

 

    

What Oxfam Works….

• Facilitates financial services access to beekeepers’ cooperatives;

• Links with big buyers and exporters for better market;

  

 

    

Force field Analysis

  

 

    

Restraining ForcesMeasures

Taken/Approaches Contributing forces1. Women do not know the how of improved beekeeping practices

Training in Beekeeping dev’t provided

A. Government experts supportive of beekeeping Dev’t

1. Husbands unhappy to find their wives go long distances for trg and meetings

Training provided at their own villages

B. Honey market becoming rewarding

2. Women have low income to buy beehives and colonies

Beehives and colonies provided on revolving fund mechanism;

C. Oxfam’s support;D. Colony Availability (may not be sustainable)

3. Most Women are illiterate and have no experience to assume leadership

Expose them to lead WSHGs in rotational basis

E. Good gov’t and NGO attention to more women participationF. WSHGs through Oxfam

4. More than one specialized cooperative per district is not allowed – prohibiting legal emergence of women initiated coops

- Regional Policy adaptation advocated for and on the process to be adapted

G. Positive attitude from regional Coops Agency to adapt the policy (Good Oxfam Reputation)

Force field Analysis….

  

 

    

Restraining ForcesMeasures

Taken/Approaches Contributing forces5. High cost of beekeeping technologies in light of insufficient funds

Linking Women beekeepers with formal gov’t extension;Use of low cost beehives (Top bar)

Acceptance of alternative top bar hives by government extension

What Changes

- 106 KGs of honey/year and income of ETB 4467/woman beekeeper/year (Just from Zero);

- Increased self esteem and leadership skills;

- Men started to develop positive attitude to women’s new role and share some of the activities.;

- Participation of women in mixed cooperatives increased from 18% to 27% in two years time;

  

     

What Changes One Story:“It was interesting to see the husband of a pregnant woman requesting to attend a meeting of WSHG in one of the districts on his wife’s behalf. He made explicit that his wife is generating more income for the household since she became a member of that women beekeepers’ group”.

  

     

Thank you!