Women and Agricultural Modernization in the Brazilian Northeast

Preliminary evidence suggests that women labourers in Brazil are often relegated into the lowest paying, least skilled sectors of the agricultural labour market.  Also, the conditions under which women work are quite different from those of male labourers.  This project will document some of the discriminatory labour practices in a number of irrigation projects in the northeast region of the country. Information will be collected on the working conditions and extent of female labour.  Researchers will examine the contribution of women to family incomes; evaluate the extent to which child care activities compromise female efficiency and participation in agricultural activities; and evaluate the role of the State and its provision of adequate labour legislation and  social services for women working in rural areas.

http://www.idrc.ca/socdev/pub/women/Women.html

 

Seasonal Workers and Agricultural Modernization (Chile)

Export fruit production in Chile, which started in the early 1960s, currently accounts for 65 percent of the foreign currency generated by the agricultural sector. Knowledge about the fruit labour market is limited.  A decrease in the number of permanent workers in favour of an increasing number of migrant temporal workers has been observed.  This project will examine the conditions of temporal and seasonal workers in the export fruit regions and their relationships to demographic behaviour, the labour market and access to social services.  The specific objectives are to describe the economic and population characteristics of fruit production regions; analyse the labour legislation; examine socio‑demographic characteristics, labour and living conditions of different types of  workers; and describe local organizations and their actual and potential provision of basic social services.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers undertook structured interviews of 581 permanent and temporary workers from six valleys in the three major fruit production regions in the country. They gathered information on individual attributes of workers (age, sex, etc.); socio‑demographics of family groups; occupational status (permanent or temporary) and working conditions; and, needs and aspirations of workers. Particular attention was paid to the distinction between temporary and permanent workers; differences between the three regions; and, the participation and aspirations of the women workers.  It was noted that temporary workers provided the bulk of the seasonal workforce; also, that being a temporary worker tended to be a permanent way of life. Seasonal workers were paid better than permanent workers, even when the latter's benefits were taken into account.  Temporary workers were more inclined to organize for better wages and conditions, but were generally not inclined to adopt a confrontational stance.  The best wages were found in the Central area, where the diversity of production and a more urgent need for labour made for higher pay and a longer working season. It was concluded that, considering its permanence as a way of life, there was an urgent need to provide seasonal workers with better working conditions, social benefits, day care, etc.

 

Energy and Family in Paraguay

The population is growing rapidly in Paraguay and the pressure upon cheap fuel resources (i.e. firewood) is increasing accordingly.  This study will focus on energy needs and consumption patterns in the poorest urban sectors of Asuncion and their implications for family organization and food preparation and consumption practices.  Researchers will examine the availability of energy sources;  analyse the roles of women and children in obtaining firewood; evaluate the possibility of introducing alternative firewood burning techniques (such as the Lorena cookstove, the "fogon  portatil para aserrin" or the "estufa prefabricada") and their potential impact on family organization and food consumption and preparation habits. The researchers will prepare audiovisual materials to disseminate the advantage of firewood cooking techniques.

Post-Project Summary:       

Researchers surveyed a sample of the poorest urban and suburban populations of Asuncion to determine their socioeconomic characteristics, cooking techniques, and choice of fuel. In all, 304 families were surveyed during the summer and 157 of them, again the following winter. Case studies of 13 families in each area were also undertaken. Charcoal was used either exclusively or occasionally by 78% of the correspondents, liquid petroleum gas by 28.6%, and wood by 18.8%, with gas being used by the highest income group or as a secondary source of fuel, and wood being used by the poorest, where available.  The adoption of liquid petroleum gas for cooking was limited by cultural rather than economic factors; promotion of this fuel to protect fast-disappearing forest resources was recommended. Fuel-efficient models of wood or charcoal burning stoves were introduced in interested families; and the use of stove insulation was recommended. Project results were disseminated through seminars, journal articles, and publication of the final report.

             

Population Research Programmes (Bolivia)

Infant mortality rates and fertility levels in Bolivia are amongst the highest in the world.  The National Population Council is responsible for promoting, coordinating, designing, integrating and evaluating population policies, programs and actions.  The objective of this project is to strengthen and upgrade the Council's institutional capacity to promote and conduct research and to assist it in processing and retrieving information useful to such research activities.  Specifically, the project will provide fellowships, training, information sciences and research support to the Council.  Through this support, it is hoped that research capacity for conducting practical, relevant research in Bolivia  will be enhanced.

Post-Project Summary:

All objectives were reached. CONAPO acted as the coordinating institution. Research and training activities were delegated to other centres, which permitted promotion and delegation of research responsibilities. As a result, CONAPO enhanced its institutional profile and other institutions benefited from the project. A number of spin-offs also resulted, including new training initiatives, contributions to a new social policy framework, a documentation centre, and further institutional development. The Centre of Documentation satisfied a growing demand for information, both inside and outside the public sector. Directories were elaborated. Research results were published and presented in public forums. Training Information: Many professionals obtained experience and training.

     

Infant Mortality Methodology (Argentina, Chile and Dominican Republic)

An accurate infant mortality rate is one of the most valuable development indicators. Several methodological experiments have been conducted by demographic institutions to develop a low-cost method of obtaining reliable estimates of mortality rates quickly.  One such method is the previous-child method.  When a pregnant woman comes to a local hospital, clinic or midwife for delivery, she is asked about her previous pregnancy and the time gap between that pregnancy outcome and the present one.  The hypothesis is that her present physical condition enables her to remember with considerable accuracy the results of the previous pregnancy.  From this single piece of information, very accurate indirect estimates of infant mortality rates can be made for women from differing backgrounds.  This project further develops and refines this methodology in five communities in Argentina and the Dominica Republic.

Post-Project Summary:

Researchers further developed and tested a new instrument for assessing infant mortality called the "previous child method", by which mothers attending hospitals and maternities are questioned regarding the survival status of their last child born alive. The reliability of the method was validated by following up demographic events fora 2-year period in a closed small indigenous Mapuche population in Junin de los Andes, Neuquen, Argentina, the data providing a point of comparison for the reliability of the previous child method administered in the local hospital. The new method was also tested by physicians, nurses, and social workers in three hospitals and eight maternities in Argentina and the Dominican Republic. Different types of questions and wordings were tested and the language refined to ensure the most reliable way of obtaining information about the survival status of the previous child, as well as the social and economic characteristics of the mothers. It was concluded that the previous child method was capable of providing a timely and reliable indicator of infant mortality; and an indirect indication of the effect of health and other services education and sanitation)on infant mortality. The project results were presented at international conferences. Project outputs included publications, a software, and a manual. Training Information: Local health personnel in the participating hospitals and maternities were trained in the use of the previous child method for measuring infant mortality.

http://www.idrc.ca/lacro/foro/results/hijo-e.htm

  

Social Services for Agricultural Seasonal Workers (Costa Rica)

In Costa Rica, seasonal workers do not have adequate access to the benefits of health, nutrition, education and environmental sanitation programs.  By the nature of their work and mobility, they cannot unionize, obtain indemnities for work accidents, obtain full and adequate access to health insurance plans and social security, get work benefits, etc.  Labour legislation from which they might benefit is not adequately enforced.  This project will analyse labour legislation concerning rural workers; identify where seasonal coffee plantation workers live; describe their working conditions; examine the Rural Health Program in depth; and recommend improvements in labour legislation and the provision of social services.

Post-Project Summary:

This project studied the legal, social, and institutional factors that prevented seasonal agricultural workers from having access to social services. The project found that access to social services was not a problem particularly linked to the spacial mobility of the population, but to the social, economic, and labour characteristics of landless workers. The project allowed for inter institutional collaboration and the strengthening of the recipient's research capacity. Project results were disseminated at seminars, and in reports and journals. Training Information: Young researchers gained important research experience.

 

Cervical Cancer Prevention

Mortality rates due to cervical cancer remain high in Argentina and other Latin American countries despite the long-standing existence of medical technologies for early detection and treatment of this illness.  This project will identify factors responsible for the high proportion of women (study cases) with a positive Papanicolau test who fail to report for subsequent diagnostic and treatment procedures in selected public hospitals and private clinics in suburban Buenos Aires which deal with predominantly lower income populations.  Study cases will be drawn from institutions and follow-up home interviews will be conducted.  Health professionals will also be interviewed.  Policy recommendations will be formulated in order to improve existing cancer prevention programs.  

 

Resettlement Programs/Land Tenure (Caribbean) -  Phase II