Correction: A systematic review of gender in participatory and social learning research in agriculture and land management in Africa

Peter Asare-Nuamah^1,2,3*David Anaafo⁴Tina Beuchelt¹Constance Awinpoka Akurugu⁵

• ¹Center for Development Research, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• ²Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
• ³University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
• ⁴West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use Competence Center, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
• ⁵Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies, Wa, Ghana

The complex nature of contemporary development challenges, such as climate change, land degradation, low soil fertility and agricultural productivity, food insecurity and population growth, requires participatory and stakeholder-driven approaches to tackle these challenges (Barreteau et al., 2010; Bentley Brymer et al., 2018; Lelea et al., 2014). Researchers, policymakers and development practitioners are increasingly responding to the call for effective multistakeholder approaches in dealing with complex challenges (Kotir et al., 2024; McNaught, 2024; McNaught et al., 2024). This is because classical top-down development approaches have been ineffective and often exclude the experiences, knowledge, preferences, and contextual needs of beneficiaries in the development processes (Chambers et al., 1989; Chambers, 1994; Steyaert et al., 2007), partly accounting for the low adoption of agricultural innovations or ineffective development interventions (Stevenson and Vlek, 2018; Kosmowski et al., 2020). In sub-Saharan Africa, pervasive inequalities in the agriculture and natural resource management sectors that support the livelihoods of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized population, make participatory, co-creation and co-development approaches paramount (Egunyu and Reed, 2015; Elias et al., 2017; Tavenner and Crane, 2019). Yet, there is not enough information on the extent to which these approaches promote gender and inclusion, which we seek to address through a systematic review. Agriculture is the backbone of many African economies and serves as the main source of gross domestic product, employment, foreign income and food security strategies. Scoones (2009) highlights its instrumental role in rural development and the livelihoods of the rural poor who constitute the majority of the sector’s labor force. Yet, prevailing inequalities perpetuated by sociocultural norms and values hinder effective participation and fair distribution/generation of benefits, particularly for women. Women are often disadvantaged compared to men in the agriculture and natural resource sector due to associated norms, roles and responsibilities (Beuchelt and Badstue, 2013; Nischalke et al., 2017; Asare-Nuamah et al., 2024; McGuire et al., 2024a). Asymmetric power relations, exclusion from essential decision-making processes, limited access to and ownership of essential resources, such as land, technology, credits, extension services etc., hamper women’s participation in agriculture (Yaro, 2010; Britwum et al., 2014; Tsikata and Yaro, 2014; Nischalke et al., 2018; Kabeer, 2020; Britwum, 2022; Tseer et al., 2024). Providing the needed resources to women and empowering them to participate effectively in agriculture can contribute to enhancing food security, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable agricultural transformation. If not addressed, persistent inequalities against women and other marginalized and social groups can hamper sustainable development (Paris et al., 2008). articipatory approaches, including social learning, can serve as tools to leverage and promote women and other marginalized groups’ participation in agriculture, land and natural resources management, address poverty and strengthen inclusive policy and decision-making processes (Muro and Jeffrey, 2008; McDougall et al., 2013b; McDougall et al., 2013a; Farnworth et al., 2022). The literature highlights the immense contributions and impacts of women’s participation in participatory and social learning processes in Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda and other African contexts (McDougall et al., 2013b; McDougall et al., 2013a; Lindley, 2014; Shaw and Kristjanson, 2014; Restrepo et al., 2016, 2018; Richardson-Ngwenya et al., 2018; Cronkleton et al., 2021; Phiri et al., 2022). This is because women, just like men, are critical change agents for sustainable agriculture and land management. For instance, women’s roles in afforestation, sustainable harvesting and use of fuelwood contribute to tackling climate change, and promote sustainable natural resource management (Egunyu and Reed, 2015; Nchanji et al., 2017). Similarly, in Burkina Faso, women’s agroecological knowledge enhanced traditional crop species’ resilience and sustainability to climate and environmental changes (Karambiri et al., 2017). In effect, women’s participation in social learning brings new perspectives and gendered dimensions due to their gendered roles and sociocultural experiences in society, which greatly influence social learning processes and outcomes (Egunyu and Reed, 2015; Elias et al., 2017; Hegde et al., 2017; Kabeer, 2020). Purposively including women’s voices and experiences in research and development projects contribute to altering norms, values and behavior necessary for sustainable development (Nischalke et al., 2017; Cornish et al., 2021; Asare-Nuamah et al., 2024). Notwithstanding, existing evidence shows that many participatory approaches continue to perpetuate gender inequality as women and other marginalized groups are often excluded (Swan et al., 2009; Egunyu and Reed, 2015). Twyman et al. (2015) associate women’s exclusion in social learning to the gender-blind nature of many participatory approaches. Also, patriarchy, cultural norms, and unequal power relations account for the exclusion of women and other marginalized groups (Cornwall, 2003; Wagle et al., 2017; Evans et al., 2021). Similarly, women and other traditionally under-represented groups can be intimidated in multi-stakeholder learning spaces, limiting their participation (McDougall et al., 2013b). Furthermore, inadequate stakeholder selection (Johnson et al., 2004) and stakeholder selection bias (Twyman et al., 2015), hinder women’s active participation in social learning. An emerging number of studies have reviewed gender in participatory and social learning research (see Johnson et al., 2004; Kristjanson et al., 2017; Shaw and Kristjanson, 2014; Swan et al., 2009; Tschakert et al., 2023). For instance, one of the earliest reviews on gender in participatory research focused largely on research projects from a global perspective which may have excluded other important studies in Africa that are not project-based (Johnson et al., 2004). Nonetheless, the authors strengthened the discourse on women’s participation in participatory research. Kristjanson et al. (2017) and Shaw and Kristjanson (2014) limited their scope to CGIAR (2024) research projects that embraced gender in participatory research designs, such as the Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. Tschakert et al. (2023) also reviewed gender and diversity in participatory learning approaches with the aim to contribute methodologically to addressing power imbalances in participatory learning. The authors note that even research designs and settings that claim to be inclusive show pervasive power differences, which disempower and marginalize disadvantaged groups.