Double process of inclusion of women in cash crop: the case of cotton in the north of Ivory Coast

Abstract

The Ivorian government has popularized the cultivation of cotton in the north of Ivory Coast in order to reduce rural-urban migration, poverty, etc. Thus, the cotton program should involve all social categories (men, women, and youth) to achieve this ambitious objective of the state. But after more than three decades of cotton popularization, the reality in the field shows that, although women are strongly present at the production line, they are almost absents at marketing level. Without taking into account that, they rarely leave the production sphere to become farm managers. However, this culture has long been "boycotted" by the “Senoufo†farmers who consider it as a female and captive’s activity. This article aims to highlight and analyze the social representations constructed in cotton growing communities towards women, yet indispensable agents of this culture. In terms of methodology, the article is based on a qualitative approach with comprehensive goal focused on semi-structured interviews, observations and focus groups.