From classroom to field: Assessing the impact of gender-targeted farmer training on knowledge, attitudes and practices in Northern Laos

Agricultural development aiming to empower and engage women has become a staple of most agrarian development programs. These gender-focused development programs are commonly referred to as gender-targeted development. Lao People's Democratic Republic is one country experiencing an increased focus on gender-targeted agricultural development. However, a limited understanding of cultural and gender-specific factors influencing the engagement of Laotian women continues to impact the successful implementation of these programs. This study examines the advantages of gender-segregated training through pre- and post-training knowledge, attitude and practice surveys. While no definitive conclusion was reached regarding the effects of gender-segregated or gender-mixed training, the study highlighted key factors that influence women's engagement, including domestic responsibilities and gender inequity in agricultural extension. The study revealed that domestic responsibilities significantly impact the engagement of women, with a majority (51.5%) of women participants with children bringing them to the training sessions. In contrast, only 12.1% of men with children brought them to their session, and they did so only to gender-mixed sessions where they could rely on their wives for childcare assistance. Men in the study experienced significant knowledge changes in gender-mixed training, whereas women exhibited no significant difference in knowledge acquisition between gender-segregated and gender-mixed sessions. Significantly, the investigation uncovered that gender gaps in education in Laos have reduced women's readiness for training, evidenced by the significantly lower starting scores of women. The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of future research in Laos and the application of participatory research approaches. A deeper understanding of the factors influencing the engagement of women in development programming will ultimately enhance the long-term success of gender-targeted development programs in Northern Laos and the Mekong Subregion, thereby contributing to improved gender equity and women's empowerment.