##issue.issue##

##issue.vol## 10 ##issue.no## 2 (2021): Special Issue on Gender I

How Does Gardening Activities Fit into the Lives And Gendered Responsibilities of Women? The Case of Vegetable Cultivation in Morogoro Municipality

https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10i2.81
Betty David Mntambo
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania.

Corresponding Author(s) : Betty David Mntambo

betty.mntambo@yahoo.com

Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), ##issue.vol## 10 ##issue.no## 2 (2021): Special Issue on Gender I

##article.abstract##

This study explored how gardening activities fit into the lives and gendered
responsibilities of female gardeners. The specific objectives were to understand how a
woman allocates her time to fit into domestic and gardening activities; how domestic
work affect the participation of women in gardening activities; as well as the implications
of the struggle to balance domestic and gardening activities. The study was conducted
among female gardeners who cultivate and sell leafy vegetables in Morogoro Municipality.
The study adopted a descriptive qualitative approach, whereby snowball sampling was
used to select 17 female gardeners cultivating in open spaces. In-depth interviews and life
histories research methods were used to document the experiences and efforts of female
gardeners in balancing gardening and domestic activities. Results showed that despite
female’s financial contribution to the household, gender responsibilities have not
changed; and a woman is expected to do all domestic activities. In this case, a female
gardener must balance between gardening activities and domestic work, whereas
sometimes her participation in gardening is compromised. The extent to which domestic
activities affects gardening activities depends on the age of a female gardener, marital
status, age of her children, and the availability of other female members in a household
who support her. These determine the extent of domestic activities a woman performs as
her duties before going to a garden. The study concludes that participation of women in
gardening activities elevate their economic position, although the struggle to accomplish
the productive and reproductive roles is real: gardening activities are imposing new
routines that intensify their labour. Furthermore, the limited availability of household
assistance and increased work-burden hinder opportunities for women to expand
vegetable cultivation, as well as having adequate time to rest.

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How Does Gardening Activities Fit into the Lives And Gendered Responsibilities of Women? The Case of Vegetable Cultivation in Morogoro Municipality. (2021). Journal of Humanities & Social Science (JHSS), 10(2). https://doi.org/10.56279/jhss.v10i2.81
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