Barriers to adult male participation in community-based agricultural education programs in Kamuli, Uganda

Undernutrition and food insecurity are ongoing challenges in rural Uganda. In these communities, women often bear the responsibility of childcare and household tasks, while still contributing to farm work. Men determine household and farm decisions, frequently impacting food and nutrition insecurity. Community-based agricultural education initiatives, such as the Food and Nutrition Security Support Groups (FNSSGs) of the Iowa State University-Uganda Program (ISU-UP), experience low male participation. Existing literature suggests that gender norms and provider expectations hinder men’s involvement in caregiving and health-related programs. Limited research has examined about how these dynamics influence men’s participation in community-based agricultural education programs such as FNSSG. This study addresses that gap by examining men’s perceptions of their roles in family nutrition and agriculture, identifying barriers to their involvement and exploring men’s proposed strategies to increase engagement.This basic qualitative study employed purposive sampling to interview 25 men who are not members of FNSSGs, but whose partners are active participants. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in Lusoga, the local language, and later translated into English. Analysis used inductive coding and thematic analysis. Findings revealed that men primarily discussed family nutrition and agriculture in terms of household outcomes, while describing their roles in terms that were not uniform. Barriers to participation were centered around anticipated community judgment, stigma, and gender norms. While men rarely outright rejected participation, they described their involvement as conditional upon structural and activity-based changes. The implications of this study for ISU-UP and similar educational programs include strengthening program framing and outreach to increase perceived relevance and social acceptance, while protecting women’s spaces and leadership. Recommendations include proposed models for gradually integrating men, establishing clear group expectations, and implementing evaluation strategies.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Agricultural education

Grantor

Iowa State University - Thesis & Dissertation

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Fernandez, Sofia, B

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Retallick, Michael, S

• Agricultural education and studies

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://dr.lib.iastate.edu/handle/20.500.12876/106749

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dr.lib.iastate.edu:20.500.12876/106749