Gender participation in marketing of climbing beans: A case study of Kabale District, South Western Uganda

This study examines gender participation in marketing climbing beans in Kabale District in South Western Uganda. The research investigates marketable climbing bean varieties that women and men produce, strategies used to market climbing beans, proportions of total bean produce sold per harvest, and gender relations in marketing. Using a cross-sectional survey of 155 farmers, findings revealed that male farmers controlled the climbing bean marketing process through mobility trading and owning retail stores, attaining higher incomes than women farmers. Women produced beans for home food security and obtained meager income from selling surplus at farm gate prices to meet pressing family needs, while men used income to buy assets and invest in income generating businesses. The study illuminates gender imbalances at production and market levels that skew economic empowerment against women.