Abstract

This study aims to contribute to documenting and informing the measurement of gender attitudes that relate directly to reaching, benefiting and empowering women through agricultural innovations. By analyzing data from 8051 survey respondents across study sites in DR Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and Rwanda, our findings emphasize both commonalities and differences in gender attitudes across different contexts. Furthermore, by including a survey-based experiment during data collection, the study assesses whether gender attitude statements vary depending on whether they are presented in a positive frame (focusing on equality) or in a negative frame (focusing on inequality). On average, rural women and men respondents across all countries supported more than half of the gender-equal attitude statements. Some gender-unequal attitudes persisted across the four countries, but varied in magnitude and by location, age group, and by specific statement or theme. Framing matters: respondents exposed to a positive framing supported 16 percent more of the gender equality statements compared to respondents exposed to a negative framing. The study highlights two main implications. First, findings indicate the importance of considering attitudes both in terms of restrictive attitudes and those that reflect gender equal opportunities to being in a vanguard. In doing so, gender-focused interventions should adopt a strategy of challenging normative thinking about women’s leading versus supporting role in agriculture and economic activities. Second, gender attitude measures do not perfectly align with gender equality and empowerment indicators at intra-household level. Gender attitude measures therefore capture a distinct dimension and merit their own indicators.