Swamila,Martha2026-07-312026-07-312012https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/20.500.14820/7869DissetationUsing the baseline survey data, this study was set out to establish the baseline position of women in fruits and vegetables value chain at Chalinze and Kiwangwa wards in the coast region of Tanzania. By intergrating gender (taking men into an account), the study specifically aimed at identifying activities done by women and men in fruits and vegetables value chain, determining the profit margin accrued by women and men in fruits and vegetables value chain and identifying socio economic factors influencing women and men position in fruits and vegetables value chain. The study results are expected to expand the knowledge of policy makers and development practitioners on the position of women in fruits and vegetables value chain in the specified research areas which consequently will lead them to make the informed decisions regarding women empowerment in FVV. Purposive sampling was used to select wards and villages basing on the concentration of women economic groups involved in fruits and vegetables value chain and simple random sampling was used to select households and 239 respondents for the interview. SPSS and STATA softwares were used to analyse data. The study found that, land preparation, planting/sowing, weeding, fertilizer application and harvesting were done by both women and men. However women were less participating in transporting fruits and vegetables produce to the market places for trading. Value adding activities were not highly practiced in the study areas. With the exception of amaranthus, the gross margins accrued by female respondents in pineapples, banana and mangoes were relatively lower than those accrued by male respondents. Education level and membership in farmers’ associations were found to influence both women and men position in FVV while position in the household was found to influence women position and access to market information was found to influence men position in FVV. The study recommends the provision of education, training on agricultural and business skills, strengthening of farmers’ associations and promotion of women members in farmers’ associations in order to improve their positions in fruits and vegetables value chain.enWomen positionVegetables value chainChalinzeKiwangwaCoast RegionTanzaniaThesis