Impact study assessing the effectiveness of the Rice and Diversified Crops (RDC) activity in Bangladesh. The RDC initiative aimed to increase incomes, improve food security, and enhance nutrition in the Feed the Future zone of Bangladesh by promoting a diversified farm management approach.
The report evaluates the project's contributions to gender equality and women's empowerment across three domains: access to markets, decision-making in agricultural production, and leadership roles. It also examines challenges faced by women, such as increased workload, limited access to finance, and digital literacy, and recommends improvements in agri-mechanisation and digitalisation to further empower women in agriculture.
Intervention description
Specific activities included training farmers on improved agricultural practices, promoting high-quality seeds, and facilitating access to financial services.
The programme worked with local partners such as Prantojon and UMOSCL to implement these interventions. A notable intervention was the introduction of high-yielding and stress-tolerant rice varieties, which significantly improved crop yields. The programme also focused on gender inclusivity, involving women in training sessions and decision-making processes.
The interventions led to increased adoption of improved practices and technologies, with 64 per cent of respondents reporting easier access to finance through microfinance institutions and cooperatives.
Evidence methodology
The methodology involved Key Informant Interviews, Focused Group Discussions, and In-depth Interviews. A total of 38 participants were interviewed, including women farmers, input dealers, contract buyers and representatives from partner organisations.
The Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) framework was used to measure the impact of interventions across five domains: access to resources, control over income, leadership, time allocation and decision-making over production.