Women Empowerment through Restoration of Salt Affected Land: A Case Study of Three Districts in
Pakistan
Mehmood ul Hassan1
Abstract: Pakistan is a predominantly agricultural country. Agriculture contributes 24% to
GDP and provides employs 43.5% labour force of which women comprises 74.2%. Share
of agriculture in foreign exchange earnings is no less than 70%. On the other hand,
growing aridity, salinity, waterlogging, wind and water erosions are posing serious threat
to echo system. Fast depleting arable land is another contributory factor. Being
cognizant of this important role of agriculture sector in national economy, Government
of Pakistan, in collaboration of UNDP, launched community development project for
restoration of 80,000 ha salt affected and waterlogged lands in district Sargodha,
Hafizabad and Jhang. The project is on ground since October 2006. So far, 70,790 ha
degraded land, with the help of 493 male and 170 female community organizations in
400 villages, has been reclaimed. Women are playing important role in implementation
of interventions introduced under the project; though their prominent contribution lies in
case of nurseries and kitchen gardens. This has resulted in significant increase per acre
yield of target farms. Paper investigates impact of land restoration and creation of new
channels of socialization ─ Community Organization ─ on the status of women in target
area.
Keywords: Women Empowerment, Income Generation, Community Development,
Restoration of Salt Affected Land and Livelihood
Agriculture is a women intensive activity in Pakistan. Women constitute 74.2 percent of
total work force employed in agriculture sector. They perform multiple operations in
agriculture supplementing and complementing contribution of their male partners. They
are not only involved in field and household chores but also play important role in sub
sectors of agriculture like livestock, forestry, fishery and poultry. Women activities in
agriculture sector range from transplanting, weeding, picking, harvesting, threshing,
winnowing, drying, preparation of storage bins and feeding animals, to clearing fields
from fossils, roots, and weeds and spreading farm manure. Given the overwhelming
involvement of women in agriculture, it is argued that increase in agricultural
production is likely to cause increase in women income. This places more resources at
their disposal and renders them more autonomous in making economic decisions. It will
also encourage effective women empowerment and income generation. In this
context, the paper studies the role of women with their male partners in the
achievements of a community based UNDP Project Biosaline-II [2006-2012] “A
Community Development Project for Rehabilitation of Salt Affected and Waterlogged
Lands”. The Project is aimed at restoration of salt affected lands in districts Sargodha,
Hafizabad and Jhang and creation of income generation activities for farming
communities, particularly women. The project draws its pedigree from two pilots
1
Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist, UNDP Project Biosaline-II, 508 Siddiq Trade Centre, 72 Main Gulberg, Lahore - Pakistan
conducted in the same area namely: (i) Joint Satiana Pilot Project [JSPP] [1994-1997]
and Biosaline-I Project [1998-2002]. A mix of bio-saline and reclamation approach is
tried under the project. It has a wide assortment of interventions being used for
restoration of salt affected and waterlogged lands. The project repertoire includes soil
reclamation with gypsum; re-vegetation through growing salt tolerant crops, trees,
grasses and salt bushes; tree nurseries, tube wells, implement pools, fish ponds, kitchen
gardens and on the top of it capacity building of target communities, particularly
women. The project harnesses traditional knowledge of farmers and scientific
innovations in the field. Women are playing directly or indirectly their role in all project
activities but more specifically they are involved in tree nurseries and kitchen gardens
and earning a reasonable income out of it. The notable feature of the project is that it is
being implemented on cost sharing basis with the communities partnering with
implementation of project.
The project formally launched its operations during September 2006. And, as of April
2012, degraded land to the size of 71,790 ha has successfully been rehabilitated,
besides installation of 350 tubewells, establishment of 357 implement pools, 63 fish farms,
400 demonstration trials on farmers’ land, 4518 kitchen gardens, and 130 nurseries of
forest and fruit trees. On community mobilization front, project has formed 493 male
and 170 female Community Organizations [COs] with membership exceeding 19664
and 3648 respectively. In order to lend permanence and sustainability to these nascent
social institution, 40 of them have been got registered with respective District
Governments as Citizen Community Boards [CCBs]. 1595 members of these COs have
been trained on Community Management Skills and basic knowledge needed for
salinity management techniques. As a result of efforts put in by project team and also
having benefitted of project interventions, the target communities have fully adopted
the project approach as it has played significant role in reversal of desertification of
their lands caused by salinity and water-logging.
Keeping in view the remarkable achievements of project vis-à-vis assigned targets and
the fact that project is nearing completion, a rapid assessment of impact of project
success on lives of women who remained directly or indirectly involved in project
implementation was carried out in project districts. The paper summarizes the results of
the survey with a view if restoration of degraded land has any impact on the lives of
women in project area.
In order to conduct survey, a questionnaire was developed and a team of female
Social Organizers of project was trained to approach respondents and seek their
responses. The questionnaire was pretested on actual respondents through trained
female Social Organizers under the supervision of Gender and Social Sector Specialist
of Project. Detailed debriefing sessions were held and questionnaire was modified in the
light of feedback of enumerators. Pretested questionnaire containing battery of open
ended, closed ended and multiple choice questions was administered to 120 randomly
selected female respondents, 40 drawn from each project district. The data collected
through survey was tabulated and analyzed mostly using percentages and averages.
Results on socio-economic profile of respondents show that average age of
respondents is 41 years, 81% of them are married, 14% are unmarried and 4% are
widows. Average family size of respondents is 6 with an equal number of males and
females. Average age at the time of marriage is 22 years. Literacy count of respondents
reveals that 35% of them are illiterate, 38% are primary drop outs, 14% are primary
graduates, 10% middle, 15% are matriculate and 11% have received education up to
higher secondary level. Average monthly income of respondent families is Rs. 16,605.
Agriculture is major source of income for 90% respondents whereas livestock and poultry
count 37% and 11% respectively. 53% of respondents draw their income from both
agriculture and livestock, whereas agriculture, livestock and poultry form source of
income for 11% respondents.
Analysis of data collected on landownership pattern shows that 37% of the respondents
are landladies. Of 19% ownership of respondents ranges from 1 to 5 acres, 12%
between 6 to 12 acres and 4% between 13 to 25 acres; whereas, none of respondents
owns more than 25% acres agricultural land. Land ownership statistics exhibits that 51%
households owns land between 1-5 acres, 26% between 6 to 12 acres, 19% between 13
to 25% and only 1% respondent household owns land more than 25 acres. Data on size
of degraded land reads that affected land of 65% of respondent households ranges
from 1 to 5 acres, degraded land of 16% respondents falls between 6 to 12 acres and
that of 13% between 13 to 25 acres. None of the respondent household owns more
than 25 acres of degraded land. History of degradation of land tells that land of 56% of
respondents was out of production for more than 20 years when project started its
operations in the area. Similarly, 33% of respondents reported that their land was out of
production for 10 to 15 years before arrival of project. 6% respondents reported that
their land was contracted menace of salinity for 6 years before start of project. Only
15% of respondents stated that they treated their affected land through chemical [2%]
and biological [13%] means. Of this 15%, 60% expressed their satisfaction on efficacy of
treatment. On the other hand, data on livestock ownership shows that, respondents
own 03 buffaloes, 02 cows and 01 goat. 73% respondents reported that their animals
are kept at farm, 12% stated that animals are kept at their courtyards and 2% reported
both at farm and courtyard.
Extent of participation of respondents [Women] in different agricultural, livestock and
poultry activities is shown in tables below.
TABLE-1 Women Participation in Agriculture Related Activities
Sowing
Transplantin
g
Cotton
Picking
Vegetable
& Fruit
Picking
Harvesting
Crops
Weeding /
Hoeing
Maize / rice
husking
Seed
Preparation
Grain
Storage
Marketing
Produce
% Participation
Plowing
Frequency
Most Often
1
27
42
39
47
46
36
42
49
59
7
Occasionally
2
52
26
22
37
31
34
24
35
24
72
Never
73
13
15
29
8
14
13
16
8
9
7
Data presented in Table-1 indicates that involvement of women in agriculture sector is
overwhelming at all stages of production cycle. Their involvement is more intensive in
transplanting, sowing, weeding, hoeing, seed preparation, harvesting, and picking of
vegetables, fruits and storage of grain. Whereas, their role in marketing the farm
produce is relatively less prominent.
TABLE-2 Women Participation in Livestock Related Activities
% Participation
Frequency
Fodder
cutting &
feeding
Milking
Churning
milk
Grazing
Animals
Collecting
farm
manure
Spreading
farm
manure
Preparing
dung
cakes
Most Often
37
63
59
50
59
64
75
Occasiona
lly
38
27
20
2
14
7
8
Never
12
56
56
12
12
13
9
Livestock is an important sub-sector of agriculture and women play important role in
livestock management. Their involvement in livestock management includes fodder
cutting and feeding animals, milking, churning milk, grazing animals, collecting
spreading farmyard manure and preparing dung cakes to be used as major source of
fuel. Since animal raring is directly dependent upon agriculture, therefore any
improvement in soil composition bound to impact the growth of livestock sector and
thereby providing more employment opportunities for women in rural areas.
TABLE-3 Women Participation in Poultry Related Activities
% Participation
Frequency
Feeding Birds
Collecting & packing
eggs
Vaccination of birds
Feed preparation
Most Often
39.4
51.9
15
37.5
Occasionally
32.7
30.8
19
34.6
Never
14.4
12.5
55
14.4
Likewise Table-3 shows that 72% respondents are involved in feeding poultry birds, their
involvement in collecting and packing eggs is 83%, 72% in feed preparation and 34% in
vaccination.
Time use analysis of respondents shows that at average time expenditure on household
chores, farm related activities and livestock management comes to 10 hours per day.
Of these 10 hours, 5 hours [50%] time goes to household chores, 3 hours [27%] to farm
activities, and 2 hours [23%]. Direct and indirect involvement of respondents in project
interventions gypsum application, tree plantation, tubewells, implement pools, kitchen
gardens, and CMSTs remain 95%, 52%, 34%, 63%, 59%, 100% and 77% respectively. This
shows overwhelming participation of women in project activities which again
corroborate the fact that agriculture is a women intensive activity in this part of world.
Analysis shows rehabilitation of salt affected land brings about an increase of 10 maunds
per acre for both rice and wheat. This means an additional income of PKR 22500 per
acre per annum. This means rehabilitation of five acres of land, which is a size of land,
rehabilitated on an average, yield an additional dividend of PKR 112500. In other words
this results in an additional income of PKR 9375 per month. Expenditure pattern of this
additional income shows that 28% of this additional income is spent on health, 27% on
education, 12% on social functions like marrying off their young ones, 11% on purchase
on new implement pools, 5% on purchasing additional agricultural land and 1% is spent
on elsewhere. So far as, expenditure of this additional income on purchase of home
appliances is concerned, analysis of respondents’ responses reveals that 20% of them
purchased TV, 19% bought mobile phones, 19% purchased fan and 14% iron, 7%
refrigerator, 5% each washing machine and sewing machine and 8% donkey pump and
4% elsewhere.
Regarding control of additional income generated through rehabilitation of salt
affected lands and its impact on lives of respondents [Women], following table make
interesting revelations.
TABLE-4 Control of income generated through rehabilitation of land
Who controls the additional income?
What % of total additional income he/she controls?
Head of Household
96
Respondent [Women]
4
However, another analysis of reads that 26% of respondents has reported that nothing
out of additional income of rehabilitated land is placed at their disposal, whereas 35
reported 1 to 5%, 9% reported up to 10%, 5% reported between 11 to 15%, 16% reported
between 16 to 20%, 2% reported between 25 to 30%, 5% between 35 to 40% and 2%
reported that between 41 to 50% of additional income is placed at their disposal.
TABLE-5 Impact of additional income on the lives of women
Respondents’ Response in %
Impact Indicators
Yes
No
Don’t Know
Improvement in family relations
88
2
10
Reduction in domestic disputes
88
4
8
Increase in personal belongings
85
7
8
Decision making role improved
59
6
35
Increase in expenditure on health
77
While responding to questions related to utility of Community Organizations created
under the project as a social institution providing a forum to discuss issues of mutual
interest, besides implementation of project interventions, 88% of respondents reported
that CO institution help them cultivate new relationships. An overwhelming majority of
99% reported the CO as a useful institution to discuss issues of mutual interest. While
responding to question that usually what type of issues are discussed in CO meetings
other than project interventions, a mix response was education, health, rising inflation,
prevailing political trends, and borrowing and lending of money to meet their domestic
needs. As to regularity and frequency of CO meeting, 70% reported that monthly CO
meetings are convened regularly and they attend these meetings at their own free will.
As to sustainability of CO meetings, 67% reported that they would continue holding
monthly meetings during post project period, whereas response of 33% respondents on
this count was not in affirmative.
CONCLUSIONS: The primary premise of paper has been to see if activities of Biosaline-II
Project which are aimed to restore salt affected and waterlogged lands in three rural
districts of Punjab, Pakistan on cost sharing bases with partnering interest groups by
mobilizing and organizing them in male and female Community Organizations has led
to women empowerment. Empowerment means to provide for positive change in
status and effective and increased role in decision making process. Measuring women
empowerment being an abstract and intangible concept is, however, a difficult task.
Measurement indices like Gender Gap Index [GGI], Gender related Development
Index [GDI], Human Development Index [HDI] and Gender Empowerment Measures
[GEM] are used to measure women empowerment at higher levels of policy making.
However, to make this higher order concept understandable, women empowerment
has been confined to two determinants; economic empowerment and social
empowerment (Women Empowerment in Pakistan ─ A Scoping Study). Economic
empowerment entails, inter alia, livelihood, exploiting opportunities for income
generation, and labour in formal and informal sector. While social development
includes securing equal access to education and health care, right to safe and
sufficient food. This also spills over to organizing women into interest groups to give them
sense of ownership and enhancing their capabilities to earn better living for themselves
and for their families.
Given the socio-cultural background of sub-continent and particularly its patriarchal
structure of rural communities and centuries old subjugation of women folk since the
dawn of concept of private property, it would be more idealistic than practical to
expect dramatic improvement in the status of women as a result of this small
intervention like Biosaline-II Project. However, trends of field survey data when
interpreted keeping in view the measures of economic and social empowerment as
determined above indicate at improvement in socio-economic status of women of
target communities. For instance project has rehabilitated 70, 790 ha slat affected and
waterlogged lands thus creating employment opportunities for women who constitutes
74.2% of total labour force works in agriculture sector and spends 50% of daily
productive time in farm and livestock related activities. This generates additional food
and income for farm families 28% and 27% of which is spent on health and education of
families. Availability of improved health care and access to education is an important
indicator of women empowerment. Significant change in land ownership pattern has
also been observed as 37% of respondents [women] own land as oppose to dismally
low figure of 2.8% at national level. On the other hand whatever meager income is
placed at the disposal of women, major chunk of it is spent on purchase of home
appliances most of them purely related women’s domestic roles like iron, washing
machine, sewing machine and donkey pump. It may interest the readers that 88% of
respondents reported that increase in income as a result of rehabilitation of degraded
land has resulted in improving filial ties and in reduction in domestic quarrels on petty
issues. 85% of respondents have reported that they use this income to enrich assortment
of their personal belongings like clothes, shoes and jewelry. Similarly, 59% of respondents
are of the view that prosperity in family has increased their say in family related issues.
All these indicate improvement in quality of life of women.
Achievements of project on social empowerment of women are relatively more
eloquent. The project has formed 170 Community Organizations of Women Interest
Groups [WIGs] with membership exceeding 3648. Activists of these WIGs have been
imparted trainings on Community Management Skills, besides providing technical
knowhow on handling farm activities and allied sectors thereby improving their
capability to turn their green into gold. 70% of the respondents have reported that they
regularly hold monthly CO meetings. 88% respondents have mentioned that formation
of CO has helped them cultivate new as well as strengthened existing relationship
through regular meetings. An overwhelming majority of 99% respondents has termed
the CO a useful institution to discuss a wide range of social issues and benefit from each
other’s experience. 67% has stated that they will continue holding CO meetings even
after project closures. This speaks of sustainability of institution of CO created under the
project.
The above discourse clearly suggests that restoration of degraded lands and
subsequent increase in per acre yield has significant potential to bring about a positive
change in socio-economic status of women working in agriculture and its allied sectors
and thereby creating positive change in gender division of roles determined by
patriarchal mindset since the advent of institution of private property. The result can be
better achieved by including women empowerment as one of the goals of such
projects and by putting more women specific interventions on project repertoires.
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