responsibility of men or women, in practice the divisions are blurred, with both men and women involved in many tasks (Pala, 1983).

The situation of a crop such as maize has its peculiar dynamics in the division of labor. Maize is grown both as a cash and subsistence crop, with high yielding varieties marketed as cash crops. As a result the local varieties were labeled as women’s crops and the high yielding ones were labeled as men’s. As high yielding varieties that meet the consumption preferences of small holder farmers are developed, the distinction between subsistence and cash crops becomes blurred. Evidence from Malawi suggested that both hybrid maize and local maize can be viewed as either subsistence or cash crop depending on the farmers circumstances (Smale and Heisey, 1994).

The traditional cultural, social and economic norms governing farm households in sub-Saharan Africa began to change dramatically in the 1970s. The rapid increase in population pressure overwhelmed traditional farming systems. The perceived employment opportunities in urban areas, mines, plantations led to high rate of rural to urban

tion especially among men. As men seek other opportunities for increased income they are likely to migrate, leaving women to take over the traditionally male tasks. In addition, when men engage more in non-farm activities, women become more involved in cash cropping. The gender division of labor is changing and it does not appear that men are assuming women’s agricultural activities particularly in the production of food for home consumption (Doss,1999).

When men move into activities that are traditionally women’s, they are not substituting their labor for their wives labor within the household (Zuidberg, 1994). The case often is that women’s activities have become more productive or profitable. An example is drawn from Burkina Faso, where women traditionally picked shea nuts. When the sale of these became profitable, men became involved in this activity often with the assistance of their wives. The number of female-headed households is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa.

The willingness to adopt new technology is dependent firstly on farmer expectations for increased output or the mitigation of such constraints from its use. One such constraint is the lack of or limited access to labor. A number of factors account for the households’ labor constraints. These include the gender division of labor, access to household labor and access to hired labor. Different crop technologies may require concentrations of labor at different times of the season. To the extent that women and men perform different tasks or have different access to outside resources, the gender of the farmer may affect the adoption of technology.

The adoption of technology has resulted in a shift in the gender division of labor. A study done in Tanzania reported that men became more involved in agriculture as the use of the plough became more widespread as hybrid maize gained popularity (Holmboe-Ottessen and Wandel, 1991). In Zambia, households that adopt new technologies present a situation in which men work more on crops and animals and less on non-farm tasks while women spend less time on crops and more on post-harvest activities. Children shift from tending crops to tending animals.

In SSA new technologies have been introduced to increase agriculture production. These technologies are based on the use of agriculture inputs such as fertilizer, seeds and the associated extension services. Women have less access to these inputs than men. Fertilizer use is dependent on its availability in the area at the appropriate time and the farmer’s ability to purchase fertilizer (Doss, 1999). The impact of fertilizer use on productivity also depends on whether farmers apply it appropriately on their fields. Zambia presents a typical case of frequent non-availability of fertilizer in farming areas. Over the years farmers have complained about the non-availability or late delivery of inputs such as fertilizer and seed. Associated with this is the prohibitive price of fertilizer. Most farmers are not able to afford the required amount of fertilizer for maximum production.

The situation is worse for women who have difficulties accessing fertilizer and in instances when it is available, can ill afford to purchase it due to their limited financial resources. Fertilizer subsidies increase maize production among women farmers and increase household food security. In Cameroon and Malawi the removal of subsidies has affected female more than male farmers because they reduce