Peer review

The Bangladesh Agriculture Research Institute's Wheat Research Centre (WRC) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) conducted investigations and baseline surveys of rural Bangladeshi women in wheat-producing households from November 1994 to April 1995. From this information, we concluded that wheat production in Bangladesh is a whole family activity because all immediate family members participate in the production cycle and all family members are affected by production decisions and results. Additionally, families had different systems for determining intra-household labor allocation. As such, we decided to train families as wheat-producing units rather than categorically divide training into gender-specific and/or task-specific segments, demonstrating respect for the family's internal operations. The ‘Whole Family Training Program’ was developed based on these concepts. The first phase of the Whole Family Training Program on post-harvest technologies was conducted in 14 areas in three greater districts in Bangladesh from March to May 1995. Female organizers usually from non-governmental organizations (NGO's) were instructed how to conduct the training with invited families from their working areas, using simple demonstration techniques, picture posters, and audience participation. Practical and cheap incentives, whose had been useful in the training, were distributed after completion of the sessions. The training recorded nearly 100% attendance in all districts; approximately 5,700 men and women from 1,300 families participated in the first pilot program. A review of the program and post-training evaluations suggested that training targets had been achieved. The evaluations recorded 100 per cent comprehension of key messages, and nearly all recommendations had a tested adoption rate of 90 to 100 per cent. Evaluation data suggests that families had adopted significant changes in many wheat-producing practices when compared with the baseline data before the training. Additionally, the organizers claimed to have gained more effective training experence as well as greater respect between their target families and their peers. They are now in a stronger position to reinforce and spread the recommendations they learned in their working areas. In 1999, a formal evaluation of the program was made with some impressive results recorded. We feel the use of non-gender biased whole family training is a methodology that is consistent with decision-making patterns of farming families in Bangladesh, showed a great deal of knowledge shared and implemented by the families, and could be adapted elsewhere. Whole family training has continued until the present, 2003, having trained over 9,000 grower families in wheat and expanding to 8,000 in maize production.

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