Gender and Governance in Rural Services

AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Gender and
Governance in
Rural Services
INSIGHTS FROM INDIA, GHANA, AND ETHIOPIAGENDER
AND
GOVERNANCE IN
RURAL SERVICESGENDER
AND
GOVERNANCE IN
RURAL SERVICES
Insights from India, Ghana, and Ethiopia© 2010 The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank
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ISBN: 978-0-8213-7658-4
eISBN: 978-0-8213-8156-4
DOI: 10.1596/978-0-8213-7658-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Gender and governance in rural services : insights from India, Ghana, and Ethiopia / the
World Bank and International Food Policy Research Institute.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-0-8213-7658-4 — ISBN 978-0-8213-8156-4 (electronic)
1. Rural development projects—India—Case studies. 2. Rural development projects—
Ghana—Case studies. 3. Rural development projects—Ethiopia—Case studies. 4. Rural
women—Services for—India—Case studies. 5. Rural women—Services for—Ghana—Case
studies. 6. Rural women—Services for—Ethiopia—Case studies. 7. Rural women—India—
Social conditions—Case studies. 8. Rural women—Ghana—Social conditions—Case studies.
9. Rural women—Ethiopia—Social conditions—Case studies. 10. Rural development—
Government policy—India—Case studies. 11. Rural development—Government policy—
Ghana—Case studies. 12. Rural development—Government policy—Ethiopia—Case
studies. I. World Bank. II. International Food Policy Research Institute.
HN49.C6G44 2009
307.1'412091724—dc22
2009033126
Cover photo: Dominic Sansoni, World Bank (background);
Simone McCourtie, World Bank (foreground).
Cover design: Patricia Hord Graphik Design.CONTENTS
Foreword xvii
Acknowledgments xix
Abbreviations xxiii
Executive Summary xxv
1. Introduction 1
Providing Agricultural and Rural Services: What Is the Problem? 1
Better Serving the Rural Poor, Including Rural Women 4
Governance Reforms and Their Promise for Better Service Provision 6
Making Services Work for the Poor: The World Bank
Accountability Framework 7
Where Are the Knowledge Gaps? 9
The Gender and Governance in Rural Services Project 12
Objectives and Structure of This Report 14
Notes 15
2. Conceptual Framework and Literature Review 17
Conceptual Framework 17
Actions and Mechanisms That Create Accountability 20
Strategies to Make Service Provision More Gender Sensitive 23
Notes 34
v3. Gender and Governance in India, Ghana, and Ethiopia 35
The Three Countries in Comparative Perspective 35
India 40
Ghana 49
Ethiopia 55
Annex 66
Notes 92
4. Methodology 93
India 93
Ghana 97
Ethiopia 99
Annex 102
Notes 103
5. The Short Route of Accountability: Households, Community
Organizations, and Service Providers 105
India 105
Ghana 132
Ethiopia 162
Annex 187
Notes 204
6. The Long Route of Accountability: Political Representatives
and Their Linkages 205
India 205
Ghana 220
Ethiopia 232
Annex 244
Notes 250
7. Comparing the Three Countries 251
Synopsis and Discussion of Main Findings 251
Routes of Accountability in Comparison 277
Notes 283
8. Implications for Policy and Research 285
Cross-Cutting Insights for Policy Design and Research 285
Country-Specific Recommendations 288
Concluding Remarks: What Creates Political Incentives to
Improve Outcomes for Women? 305
References 307
Index 317
vi CONTENTSBOXES, FIGURES, AND TABLES
Boxes
1.1 Market Failure, State Failure, and Community Failure in
Agricultural Extension 2
1.2 The Pervasive Problem of Clientelism and Elite Capture 8
1.3 Glossary 10
2.1 Mechanisms and Actions That Create Accountability
in Service Delivery 22
2.2 Strategies to Make Service Provision More Gender Sensitive 24
2.3 Research Questions for Descriptive and Qualitative Analysis 32
3.1 India’s ATMA Model for Agricultural Reform 45
3.2 Challenges of Decentralization in Ghana 51
3.3 Results from a World Bank Field Study of Decentralization
in Ethiopia 58
3.A.1 World Bank Support for Local Governance in Ethiopia 91
5.1 Challenges of Staff at the Gram Panchayat Level in Karnataka 117
5.2 Gender Blind Spot of an Agricultural Agency in Ethiopia 175
vii6.1 Is Illiteracy an Obstacle to Women’s Participation in
Local Politics in India? 207
6.2 Violence as an Obstacle to the Long Route of
Accountability in Bihar 214
6.3 Are Female Panchayat Presidents Merely Tokens for Their Husbands? 218
6.4 Dealing with the Bureaucracy: Strategies of Female Politicians 220
6.5 District Assembly Members as “Glorified Beggars” 225
6.6 The Nexus between the Ruling Party and Agricultural
Activities in Tigray 240
Figures
1 The Long and Short Routes of Accountability xxvii
1.1 World Bank Accountability Framework 7
2.1 Conceptual Framework Applied in the Report 18
2.2 Creating Accountability along the Service Delivery Chain 21
3.1 Levels of Government and Types of Elected Government Bodies in India,
Ghana, and Ethiopia 41
5.1 Short Route of Accountability 106
5.2 Household Satisfaction with Agricultural Extension in Karnataka,
by Gender and Caste 108
5.3Veterinary Services in Karnataka,
by Gender and Caste 110
5.4 Household Satisfaction with Drinking Water Service in Karnataka,
by Gender and Caste 112
5.5 Satisfaction with Drainage in Karnataka, by Gender and Caste 113
5.6 Age Distribution of Staff in Karnataka 119
5.7 Membership in Community-Based Organizations by Men and
Women in Karnataka 128
5.8 Use of Extension and Other Agricultural Services
by Men and Women in Ethiopia 163
5.9 Access to Drinking Water Sources in Ethiopia 167
5.10 Satisfaction with Quantity and Quality of Drinking Water Supply
in Ethiopia in Wet and Dry Seasons 169
viii BOXES, FIGURES, AND TABLES