Household Economy in the Rural Sector of the Border Region between Ecuador and Colombia and Alternatives to Overcome Poverty

Introduction

The problems confronted by rural women are diverse, at the economic, social, and cultural levels. At the economic level they do not have stable employment opportunities; their incomes are variable since they depend on agricultural and livestock work. They have lower levels of education. They are confronted by gender inequality, unemployment, and exclusion in decision-making, lack of opportunities, and lack of institutional support. They live in an androcentric culture in which they work largely in the informal sector and are faced with domestic abuse and violence. All of which tend to exacerbate the primary problem, that of extremely low levels of income of the rural population.

The central concern of this research is the following: Does the participation and empowerment of rural women contribute to alleviating their high levels of poverty and contribute to the design of public policies that improve their standards of living and quality of life? As an investigative hypothesis, it is proposed that their participation and empowerment contribute to improving and overcoming conditions of poverty among rural women.

The general objective is to analyze the participation and empowerment of rural women and their contribution to reduce poverty and design public policies that improve gender equity. More specific objectives include Identifying the factors that strengthen or hinder the participation and empowerment of rural women in a municipality on the border of Ecuador and Colombia; Analyzing the strategies that allow for the reduction of poverty conditions among rural women in the border region and identifying the contribution of public policies in reducing poverty conditions of rural women in the municipality.

1. Background

In order to advance the current research, a literature review was undertaken on public policies that benefit rural women and the rural sector, as well as the different thematic fields that this research addresses. This allowed us to understand and identify the successes and failures in the field of policy formulation that, despite good intentions, had little impact on the quality of life of the rural population. In Ecuador and Colombia, public policies have been formulated with the purpose of benefiting rural women; however, monitoring of their implementation has not been carried out, nor has there been an adequate evaluation of their effectiveness with regard to their improvement on quality of life.

It is understood that living in a rural environment contains elements of territorial and geographical isolation compared to a more urban and cosmopolitan environment. It is a space that possesses a natural wealth; environmental and cultural resources, particular ecosystems, and various forms of production. Where social relations are intertwined with particular cultural views; these elements give it a specific particularity. It is constituted in a complex system where the different dimensions of social and cultural life interact and where a territorial identity is supported. It is the space where social relations are interwoven, where a social and productive organization coexists.

1.1. FAMILY Agriculture

There are essential features that distinguish rural modes of agricultural production such as the exclusive or majority use of family labor, whether provided by one or more members of the family. In this way, rural agriculture can be more exploitative when the amount of work contributed by family members is greater and the number of family members involved in the work process is increased (Gómez and González, 1999: 28).

In the Ecuadorian and Colombian cases, family farming is recognized as a peasant economy: family agricultural units with rural producers, containing the following characteristics; low levels of education, intensive use of family labor, insecurity in health, scarce technological development, hiring of seasonal labor, especially during harvest periods. Family farming contributes significantly to the food security of peasant families; and it is a source of supply for urban environments.

In the economic activity of family farming there is diversification of crops and rotation of them, there is no planning in production to guide the crops that are planted. Failure to take market supply into account can lead to a situation that creates a decrease in the price in the market, affecting the income of the producers. Family farming knowledge is derived from agricultural practice that occurs within a specific cultural environment that relies upon traditions and customs in production and marketing. There exists an historical context that links rural women to family farming. In fact, one of the most salient characteristic elements of the workload performed by rural women is the combination of domestic household work coupled with agricultural activity.

As Bock (2006) points out, the structure of agriculture and the reality of rural life has irrevocably changed, starting from the liberalization and globalization of markets, these changes have a direct impact on the quality of life of agrarian rural families, because with this competition and globalization has come a considerable effect on household income. The result has been both a lowering of the level of product prices in addition to an increase in production costs. Subsequently, this has forced many families in the rural areas to move to the city.

2. Methodological Procedures

Qualitative research is interested in the perspective of the subjects themselves (Millan 1974: 38). The focus of the research approach allows for a perspective from the subject's point of view. It is framed in a research model with greater focus on social change because it is based on a recognition and acknowledgement of the intrinsic value of the knowledge of the reality in which the subjects live. It is a systematic process of learning, since it implies that people carry out critical analysis of the situations in which they are immersed.

An approach was made through participant observation, sharing the circumstances, from the daily life of the social subjects, their activities, interests and preferences. Participant observation can be considered the quintessential example of capturing the nature of reality, rather than alternative techniques of qualitative research methods (Callejo, 2002).

Field visits were conducted where the life situation of rural women, their economic, cultural and social conditions, the way of life in rural areas, working conditions, productive activities and daily life were observed. An in-depth interview was conducted, like an ordinary conversation, with some particular characteristics of participant observation applied (Callejo, 2002). It is about capturing the meanings in an open dialogue that encourages conversation. The interview allows access to the universe of meanings from the perspective of the actors, not only the texts but the situations of the context from the vision and cultural approach of the same. In order to carry out the interviews, it was necessary to establish preliminary contacts, coordinate the times and agree on places, in an attempt to accurately capture the reality of the subjects, so as not to interrupt their daily lives.

Each interview lasted approximately 3 hours, listening to their stories, their hopes and despair in a warm conversation. The women who participated belonged to organizations in the rural sector, linked to productive activities. An interview script was designed in which each one of the variables corresponding to the proposed objectives was addressed.

Discussion groups were held for their dynamism and the possibility of capturing the opinions of the interest group, a meeting with an open and semi-structured group interview, where the discussion is encouraged from personal experiences, with respect to the guiding questions posed in the research. This allows for the establishment of an open conversation, a dialogue from the perspective of rural women. The preparation for the event was arranged beforehand, the rural women of the selected areas were invited, and the logistics were prepared, including identifying the meeting site. Discussion groups for this study were based on the possibility of building and understanding, from the dialogue with the interviewees, the significance of participation and empowerment from rural women. A dialogical approach enabled the construction of the significance and meanings, through an unstructured, free, and spontaneous, group discussion that was both facilitated and stimulated through a reflective discourse.

The duration of each group was 3 hours which allowed sufficient time to address the pertinent questions that serve as the basis for this research. The research questions were developed based upon the variables of participation and empowerment. The interviews were guided by a survey discussion script to facilitate a conversation that would yield responses to the variables being studied. The dialogues and discussions generated in the participation groups were recorded on sound tape and transcribed in magnetic writing. The coding and categorization were done by disaggregating the text, thus achieving greater description, understanding and interpretation of the categories that emerged. This, in turn, led to the reconstruction of new meanings and insights.

Figure 1: Research design

Revision of information

Problem formulation

Theoretical revision

Methodological design

Observation Interviews Focus groups Field diary

Identification of theories

Theoretical analysis

Information analysis

Information validation

Final construction

Source: self-made.

Table 1. Profile of the people interviewed Profile of interviewees

Total 40 Source: self-made.

Table 2. Analysis categories

3. Characteristics of THE Narino District Colombia

The district of Nariño is located in southwestern Colombia. The district has agricultural potential, due to its strategic geographical location, derived from its thermal terrain, there is a large number of areas inhabited by peasant farmers, which allows for both alternative family employment and as a source of income for rural women who are linked to these activities.

The rural situation is characterized by: low levels of technology of production, scarce marketing channels, low levels of income of the peasant population, and limited production in some areas due to the conditions facing the agricultural sector. Public policies do not provide protection nor opportunities to small rural producers. They are totally disconnected from the social, cultural and economic reality of the sector; likewise, no appropriate strategies are designed for the promotion and strengthening of rural condition to benefit local inhabitants.

The department has had to face a series of social and economic problems, many of these structural, such as poverty; situations of violence and armed conflict that cause displacement of the rural population to the city; generating an increase in the level of unemployment and conditions of marginality. This increasing marginalization, both social and economic in nature, is reflected in the various social indicators.

One of the most important characteristics of the economy in Nariño is related to the existence of family farming; a production system where the family participates, with the contribution of labor, for work, especially rural women, who contribute to the generation of income.

The municipality of Pasto is located in the south west of Colombia, in the middle of the Andes mountain range in the mountainous massif called Nudo de los Pastos. The city is located in the Atriz Valley at the base of the Galeras volcano, close to the border with Ecuador. There is a high fractionalization of property, small tracts of land, which is subdivided even further as the nuclear family continues to grow. Rural women play an important role in the family economy.

Characteristics of THE Carchi District Ecuador

The district of Carchi is located in the north of Ecuador, in the geographical area known as the interandes region or mountain range, mainly on the nodes of the pastures to the northeast, the Chota basin in the south and on the outer flanks of the western mountain range in the west. Its administrative capital is the city of Tulcán, which is also its largest and most populated city. Tulcán, located in the district of Carchi, is near the Colombian-Ecuadorian border, which is one of the areas most affected by the armed conflict in Colombia.

The district of Carchi has agricultural potential due to its geographical location. It is nearly identical to the south of Colombia. It is a border region in which agriculture is one of the main activities that generates resources for the inhabitants of Carchi; Among the products that are best grown are: potatoes (they generate a very important and significant percentage of the national supply of the tuber), beans, peas, corn, wheat, barley, oats; to the northwestern yucca, banana and tropical fruits. Trade from the bridge of Rumichaca, door that joins commercially and touristically Ecuador and Colombia.

Agriculture is A representative social factor and its impact on vulnerable population there are more people involve in this economic agricultural activities, the transport factor has a high influence between Ecuador and Colombian border commerce. The presence of transnational armed groups such as the FARC's dissidents still maintains its presence in territories of the Ecuadorian-Colombian border, such as San Lorenzo and Tumaco, and this presence is conditioned by the development of relations between Ecuador and Colombia on issues of fundamental political agenda such as border security where armed and drug trafficking actions have transcended borders, increasing the insecurity and violence of this border region.

The rural situation has experienced the same as the Colombian reality: low levels of technology of production, scarce marketing channels, low levels of income of the peasant population, and limited production in some areas due to the conditions facing the agricultural sector. Public policies are focused on the central government AND there is a big center – periphery disparity in relations between Quito and Bogota and their respective border regions.

8. Conclusions

Rural Territory

The rural development model is shaped by the following characteristics: a) inequitable and exclusionary; due to the presence of armed groups in Colombia that leads to innumerable rural conflicts, b) failure to recognize the differences among social actors, and c) does not consider the environmental resources and potential of these rural areas. The current development approach does not allow for the generation of a model that accommodates the convergence between the rural and the urban areas.

This present situation allows for the development of: a) a relatively non-competitive rural sector, b) a land tenure system in Colombia and Ecuador that has many litigation conflicts, c) most of the properties are without formal or adequate legal documentation; the peasants do not possess legal property titles. This hinders greatly the necessary access to and involvement with public policies that might support rural areas (access to credit, etc.).

Public Policies

The policies that are formulated do not consider the true daily situation of women, especially rural women, the different policies for the rural sector, nor the lack of follow-up on their implementation and impact on the poverty conditions of rural territories. No progress has been made in the construction of conditions or opportunities that allow the rural population to influence the decision-making scenarios or real participation in the formulation of public policies. The low levels of participation lead to policy proposals that are out of sync with reality and employ strategies that do not adequately address the conditions of rural women. It is required that the design of social policies for the rural sector consider the cultural, social and economic contexts, development of adequate infrastructure for the improvement of economic conditions and the overcoming of poverty. Policies should make it possible for women to acquire greater economic autonomy.

Rural Women

Women report that one of their main problems is the low levels of income from economic activity, caused by the intermediation in marketing, as well as the deficient conditions in production. Rural women mention that the problems of the market of agricultural products are related to: a) inexistence of stable prices, b) high costs of production inputs, 3) intermediaries, and d) low prices for products caused by excess supply in the local market.

However, rural women have developed mechanisms to face their situation from productive initiatives. These women have developed the ability to participate in organizational spaces, contributing to empowerment as rural women.

Participation and Empowerment

It is recognized that women’s participation in social organizations has advanced and that the knowledge of their interests and rights has improved. However, the ignorance and defense of their interests persists from a gender perspective. Rural women who participate in social organizations have developed mechanisms to face their situation through productive initiatives. The success of social programs and projects implemented with rural women has been propitiated by the strengthening of social capital. Social capital can be understood as the ability of social organizations to act collectively in common development purposes. Rural women through associativity have managed to improve their income levels, carry out collective actions and learn to work together; linked in network, they have been trained and have acquired skills and competences for entrepreneurship.

The active participation of rural women generates social empowerment and participation. These are factors that enhance the experiences of rural development allowing the inclusion of rural women in the improvement of living conditions. The reinforcement of autonomy and self-esteem are closely linked with social empowerment. Women have found that if they work together, in groups or networks, they gain access to the goods and services they need to expand their opportunities.

9. Recommendations

Strengthen Research on Rural Development

In the dynamics of research, and especially the sense of education, it is necessary to bring the professional, the student, and the volunteer together to build science and promote development with the farmer. Whoever manages to understand this dynamic will be able to identify the needs inherent to the field and thus could intervene to improve the quality of life.

Strengthen Empowerment and Promote the Participation of Rural Women

Promotion of community participation in the structuring and implementation of social programs and projects in the territories is a fundamental element to generate economic, social and cultural sustainability. Strategies should be implemented that allow the empowerment of rural populations, so that they become agents of their own development.

Formulation of Public Policies with a Gender Focus

Monitoring of public policies aimed at women requires that there be an effective political will. Political will implies not only carrying out programs and projects that have them as a target group but also applying a gender approach. The analysis of public policies must recognize the current situation of women and both allow and encourage them to participate in their design and implementation. This makes possible a) a rapprochement between the objective of the policy and its practical achievements, b) a comparison of the formulation in accordance with reality, and c) an ability to analyze how they affect the social, economic, cultural, and environmental or political issues that gave rise to said policies with a gender focus.

Generation of Skills and Abilities in Rural Women

It is critical to search for and identify the mechanisms by which training generates skills and abilities in rural populations so that they manage their development in a sustainable manner and can access services. It is necessary for the local institutions to continue to foster development of skills and abilities in the rural population. Training programs should include creation of an information system that allows for an appropriate follow-up to the different social policies supported by public and private entities. It is critical to both measure and monitor the changes in the quality of life of rural women. It is necessary to strengthen skills and abilities in women entrepreneurship and allow rural women to advance business and economic developments in rural areas. This includes strengthening of agro-industry for the generation of added value and promoting the articulation of organizations around productive economic development.

An Agrarian Reform That Contemplates the Gender Perspective

It is fundamentally important to consider rethinking and proposing an agrarian reform with a gender perspective for Ecuador, Colombia and Latin America that focuses on women. An agrarian reform with a gender perspective that includes social justice and equity will contribute to build political stability, improve productive activity in rural areas, and help enormously to provide sustainable economic development.

Interinstitutional Articulation to Promote Development

Articulation of local and regional actors to promote economic development with a gender perspective is essential. If public and private entities continue in a disarticulated work with regard to development, it will not be possible to achieve successful transformations. It is necessary to design programs with articulated inter-institutional actions to support women and aid the transformation and alleviation of poverty conditions of rural women.

Financing Programs for the Rural Sector

One of the problems of the rural sector is the difficult access to financing by small producers, due to the low capacity to manage and share irrigation, and the lack of special lines of credit that adjust to the differentiated conditions of their agricultural activity. This makes it extremely difficult to market their commerce and to generate added value to the production of small producers. This problem is exacerbated by the absence of infrastructure for storage and transportation as well as organization and associativity of producers to minimize intermediation.

Strengthening the Urban - Rural Focus

Food security in urban areas depends directly on rural areas, from which the city is supplied; it is considered in the same way that the water supply depends on the natural resources of the rural areas. The rural cannot continue to be considered as an isolated and disconnected territory of the urban, marginalized, with little development. On the contrary, rural areas should be seen as a territory that has economic, social, cultural and environmental potential that can help to promote a comprehensive policy that understands rural dynamics and articulates urban development projection.

About the Authors

MORENO VALLEJO Jaime Rodrigo, PhD in Economics, labor and production. Universidad Pablo de Olajide in Seville, Spain. Master's degree in International Relations and Communication. Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. Queen Margaret University, United Kingdom. Slippery Rock University United States. Pennsylvania State Government - Project of academic relevance and social pertinence- CESMAG university institute. Advisor to the Mayor of Pasto - Interdisciplinary Research Group in Higher Education; Military University of the Armed Forces. Quito, Ecuador. Vice-rector of the Southern Catholic University Foundation, Pasto, Colombia, Full time position Professor and Researcher at Technical University of the North Ibarra – Ecuador.

KERCHIS, Donald E., PhD in Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh, PA - United States, Certificate in Latin American Studies, University Center for International Studies (UCIS); Master of Public and International Affairs, University of Pittsburgh. Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, Georgetown University; Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Washington, DC. Year abroad at the University of Seville, Spain. Specializations in International Politics, International Relations, Law and Organization, Politics of Developing Areas and United Nations and International Law. Developing research database on Latin American democratic values and the role that international education can play in rural poverty alleviation strategies. Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.

Bibliography