Description

Summary: In Year 3, for development purposes it became practical to integrate the market and gender components although separate reporting (book type) on market and gender findings was still being undertaken. This was due to the fact that marketing was a gendered, i.e., women s, activity in Songco, the research site. Presentation and discussion of the integrated market and gender findings in several public fora was also done. The public discussions aided further data analysis and provided more ideas for writing the conclusion and recommendation of two books. Contact with women leaders of the only women s association in the village called Nagkahiusang Pundok sa Kababayen-an sa Songco (United Women s Group of Songco) Multi-Purpose Cooperative or NPKS-MPC was established as the project s entry point for data validation and participatory development planning, as well as for local assistance in the new gender cross-cutting research thrust of SANREM.

This gender cross-cutting research focusing on women s market networks had energized the gender thrust during the year. The guidance and help of the NPKS-MPC President was employed in identifying and facilitating contact with the study subjects who are NPKS members, as well as in strategizing how best to approach the network study. Discussions with groups of women farmers/marketers and market middlemen especially those owning market warehouse facilities ( bodegas ) were conducted. These discussions were also avenues for validating market and gender data obtained in the initial two years. Additional funds for the cross-cutting research that later became available were used to begin data gathering on the women farmers market networks in the last quarter of the year.

The additional gender research thrust which involved all three countries in LTRP-5 necessitated the SDRC project director to spend more time doing active research coordination work. Her travel to the Vietnam and Indonesia research sites punctuated this work.