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Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

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officers have CM2 certificates. This percentage is highest in Zou, where a relatively large share of<br />

GV presidents and treasurers have certificates, and lowest in Mono/Ouémé (see Table 4.3.10).<br />

Characteristics of GV secretaries<br />

Given the importance of the secretary in the daily management of the GV, the survey asked<br />

additional information about the characteristics of the secretary. All but one of the 189 GV<br />

secretaries were male. The average secretary is 33 years old, speaks three languages, has been a<br />

member of the GV for nine years, and has been secretary for four years. Almost all the secretaries<br />

(97 percent) were residents of the village before becoming a member. These patterns are quite<br />

similar across departments (see Table 4.3.11).<br />

The first language of the secretary is generally the same as the dominant language where the GV is<br />

located. This is the case for 94 percent of the GVs in the survey, but just 82 percent in Atacora (see<br />

Table 4.3.12).<br />

GV secretaries tend to be more educated and somewhat better off than adults in rural areas. As<br />

noted above 88 percent of the secretaries have at least a CM2 certificate. <strong>In</strong> contrast, the average<br />

head of household in rural villages has just 2-3 years of education, according to the IFPRI-LARES<br />

1998 Small Farmer Survey. <strong>In</strong> addition, GV secretaries are probably somewhat better off than the<br />

average rural farmer, judging by the percentage that own different types of assets. For example, 58<br />

percent of GV secretaries own a motorbike compared to just 26 percent of all rural households.<br />

Similarly, 11 percent of GV secretaries own a television, compared to 5 percent among rural<br />

households. GV secretaries are also more likely to own a vehicle (4 percent) and a radio (79<br />

percent) than other rural households (see Table 4.3.13).<br />

The position of GV secretary is generally not a full-time occupation. Around 85 percent of the<br />

secretaries have other activities. Almost all of these secretaries (95 percent) report that this other<br />

activity is farming. The only exception to this pattern was in Mono/Ouémé, where less than half<br />

the GV secretaries are involved in other activities (see Table 4.3.11).<br />

When asked about the method of selecting the secretary, over three-quarters of the GVs reported<br />

that he was elected. <strong>In</strong> most of the other cases, the position was “imposed” on the secretary by<br />

members of the GV.<br />

121

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