The role of men and women in agriculture and agricultural decisions in Vanuatu

Abstract

This study uses a unique data set of 106 cocoa-growing households in Epi, Vanuatu, to study menʼs and womenʼs participation in decision-making concerning 17 agricultural activities. Women participate in many aspects of the production and postharvest activities of food and cash crops. However, women are disempowered when it comes to participating in, influencing, and having autonomy over decisions about agricultural activities and income from crop sales. This article also presents an index summarising the decision-making data. The findings do not suggest associations between the index and variables expected to correlate with womenʼs empowerment (e.g., education, household assets). The study does find that participation in community activities correlates with the decision-making index for both men and women. The data presented in this article provides useful sex-disaggregated data capturing intra-household agricultural decision-making, and a solid platform for further work on understanding intra-household decision-making processes concerning cash and food crops in Vanuatu.