ABSTRACT

Development projects play a crucial role in kickstarting and promoting women’s empowerment in agriculture. This paper is a conversation starter on how women can be included in the agenda to mechanise agriculture in Africa. It investigates the potential of empowering women as vital actors in the mechanisation value chain, by analysing the perceptions and experiences of the trained women tractor operators. The findings showed that the involvement of women in mechanisation pushed them beyond their comfort zones and offered them a new self-identity with new opportunities previously reserved for men. It also broadened their social capital through the formation of an association for women operators which ensured their representation at a local and national level. For young women, being an operator is the only alternative they have to one day owning a tractor-for-hiring service business because they do not own land or have capital, which is often a precondition.

摘要

发展项目在启动和促进农业妇女赋权方面发挥着关键作用。这篇论文是关于如何将妇女纳入非洲农业机械化议程的开场白。它通过分析受过培训的女性拖拉机操作员的看法和经验，调查赋予女性作为机械化价值链中重要参与者的潜力。研究结果表明，女性参与机械化使她们超越了舒适区，并为她们提供了新的自我认同，以及以前为男性保留的新机会。它还通过成立女性经营者协会扩大了她们的社会资本，以确保她们在地方和国家层面的代表权。对于年轻女性来说，