Special encouragement for women to keep bees

At the First IAAD-ATI Development Beekeeping Seminar Ohio, USA, in August 1981, a group interested in promoting beekeeping especially for women met to discuss possibilities for action. The group proposes to collect together details of women's beekeeping co-operatives and projects world-wide and to coordinate the collection of information through ay appointment at and IBIA.

In the tropics and subtropics women are extensively involved agriculture, and they are responsible for the marketing of agricultural products in many societies. Although beekeeping has traditionally been man's work in many of these societies, more women are now beekeeping in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Encouragement and education of woman to become beekeepers should be given special attention in development programmes, because bees directly improve the living standards for the family, and can be kept at home.

Beekeeping need net be heavy work. Women can easily manage the top-bar hives now in use in Kenya, and the colonies of Apis cerana in Asia which are small and easy to handle. Work can also be shared by forming beekeeping co-operatives. Keening a few hives close to home, or in the nearby bush, need not interfere with other activities, and the income can be used directly to help the family.

I am therefore interested to hear about beekeeping projects for women, whether co-operative or independent, details of their success, adaption of beekeeping equipment, how beekeeping fits into everyday Life, and the increased income from sale of honey and wax in relation to the average income in the country. I would also like details of aid agencies that assist women's programmes and that could be approached to help fund beekeeping projects.