Examining gender roles in the sweetpotato silage value chain in Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda

Abstract

This study explored the gender dynamics and demographic characteristics of men and women involved in the sweetpotato silage value chain in Kampala Metropolitan Area, Uganda. Demographically, most male participants (52%) were adults aged 35 years and above, with 71% serving as household heads, and most of them identified as businesspersons. Women participants were primarily adults as well (29%), had high representation at the degree level of education and above (10%), but only 14.3% were household heads, and 14.3% were spouses. While men had broader educational diversity, ranging from O’level to PhD, women’s educational attainments concentrated at higher schooling levels, suggesting potential for increased involvement in technical and managerial roles. The analysis also revealed significant gender disparities in participation across various stages of silage production, marketing, and use. Men dominated key activities such as managing machinery, collecting vines, crushing, mixing, ensiling, and storage of silage with participation rates ranging from 62% to 67%. In contrast, women’s involvement in these mechanized and commercial nodes ranged between 0% and 28%, with a complete absence in training and selling activities. Women were somewhat more active in early and labour-intensive activities like searching for vines (19%) and buying inputs (29%), but their overall engagement remained substantially lower than that of men. Regarding perceptions of silage equipment and processes, men generally found these easier to manage. Women, while finding some activities like vine searching (24% easy) and input buying (24% easy) less challenging, faced notable barriers related to equipment cost, accessibility, and technical expertise mixing/ensiling. These constraints contribute to their limited involvement in technical and commercialization activities within the value chain. These findings reflect deeply entrenched gender norms and structural barriers that restrict women’s access to critical resources, training, and markets in the silage value chain. Women’s limited participation in value addition and commercialization underscores the urgent need to address socio-cultural constraints and promote women’s empowerment. To this end, the study recommends provision of subsidized gender responsive credit and easy to use machinery, targeted training programs for females and youth, equitable labour sharing and joint decision making in households and farmer groups. Such measures are essential to unlocking the full potential of both men and women, thereby enhancing productivity, income generation, and sustainability in Agribusiness.