Building gender equity through a Family Teams approach

This monograph describes an approach to farmer learning and agricultural extension known as the ‘Family Teams’ approach used in a project to improve the uptake and impact of training and small business development for women smallholder food crop producers in three regions of Papua New Guinea. The Family Teams approach enables farming families to explore issues of gender and culture within families, seeking to encourage more effective, sustainable and gender-equitable farming and business practices. The program helps families look at the work done by women, men and youth and to work towards a more equitable and effective distribution of agricultural and household work. The program assists smallholder families to plan and make decisions together. It encourages opportunities for women to have access to their own income and promotes the wider benefits of women having a voice within the family and community. The program consists of four modules that are integrated with agricultural production and financial literacy training to ensure communities are connected to local resources.