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Article 8 - Volume 33/2 - 2023

Paper title:

Lowland agriculture and women's socioeconomic integration: the case of the Senufo people in the Korhogo commune, northern Côte d'Ivoire

Author(s):

Nanan Kouamé Félix KOUADIO1, Tiémongo SILUE1 and Kouassi Josué KOUADIO1

1 Université Peleforo GON COULIBALY, Département de Géographie, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire

Pages:

104 - 120

Publishing date:

15 December 2023

Abstract:

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, education is a fundamental human right for all children worldwide. However, unlike men, women generally suffer from a low level of education, which compromises their ability to integrate into the social fabric. This gap is even more pronounced for women in rural areas, whose role is limited to maternity and household chores. As a result, they remain dependent on their husbands and generally have no decision-making rights. They also have no access to land, but take advantage of abandoned areas such as lowlands to develop small-scale farming activities. These practices, which in the past were mainly intended for daily subsistence, are now being commercialized. This article shows how lowland farming helps the socio-economic integration of women, focusing on the case of the indigenous Senoufo. It is based on documentary research supported by field surveys carried out in workshop areas. The various investigations revealed that women initiate several agricultural activities in the lowlands, with a preponderance of market garden crops. Income from marketing the fruits of their fields, as well as remuneration from female labor, helps to improve their living conditions and their relative socio-economic integration.

Keywords:

Korhogo commune, lowland farming, indigenous Senoufo, socio-economic integration, women.