Gender and agricultural extension in Burkina Faso

A national survey of 2,406 agricultural households in Burkina Faso revealed that only five percent of the households were "headed" by women, but that nineteen percent of the plots farmed by these households were actively mana ged by women. Both government (Training and Visit) and nongovernment (NGO) extension programs were provided to survey farms. This study attempts to me asure the effects of these programs on the role of women as farm managers. The study concludes that the provision of higher levels of both government and NGO extension programs to agricultural households stimulates an increas e in plot management by women farmers. Plots managed by women have crop yie lds similar to those on plots managed by men.