Can Women Achieve Sustainable Integration into Agricultural Services Markets? Evidence from an Exploratory Study in Torbeck, Haiti

Abstract

Women's empowerment necessarily involves their socioeconomic integration. Yet, they are generally absent from certain income-generating activities. This is particularly true in Haiti, where the sale of agricultural services is dominated by men. The FADEKA2 intervention in a predominantly agricultural area of ​​southern Haiti (Torbeck) offers an opportunity to study the following questions: Are the women supported by the FADEKA2 project better prepared to enter the stereotypical market of agricultural mechanization services? Will they be able to sustainably integrate into this male-dominated sector? Are farmers willing to purchase agricultural services sold by women? Analysis of comparative data from both sexes, based on a sample of approximately 80 people, shows that the women benefiting from the FADEKA2 project feel ready to face competition and male dominance in the sale of agricultural mechanization services. However, men active in this market are not enthusiastic about the integration of women. Farmers, however, are receptive to the idea of ​​purchasing veterinary care or plowing services offered by women, which suggests a degree of sustainability for women's integration into this market.