Gender gap in cereal productivity in Burkina Faso: the role of agro-ecological characteristics

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of agro-ecological partitioning on the gender gap in cereal productivity in Burkina Faso. The pooled OLS regression method and an extension of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition were used to estimate the effect of agro-ecological division on the gender gap in cereal productivity. The results obtained show that women use significantly lower quantities of inputs than men and have 12.4% lower yields than men. Moreover, the agro-ecological characteristics of the three relatively less favored regions increase the overall gap of 16.28% compared to the region with high agricultural potential. A detailed analysis indicates that the gender effect is not significant in the region with high agricultural potentialities, whereas it is significant in the ecologically less advantaged regions. Considering the sample of household heads, we find that the gaps are lower and the Sahelian zone contributes to reducing the effect of agro-ecological characteristics on the yield gap. This result suggests that decision-making power within the household should allow female farmers to improve their yields and close the gender gap. To reduce the gender gap in cereal productivity, policymakers should consider regional agro-ecological potentialities, women’s access to productive resources and their participation in household decision-making.

JEL codes: J16; D24; C49

Keywords: Gender gap, cereal productivity, agro-ecological characteristics, Burkina Faso.