Gender roles in agriculture

**Global Gender Disparities in Agriculture**:
– Women represent 37.8% of all agricultural workers worldwide.
– Over 50% of agricultural workers are women in 22 countries, mainly in Africa.
– Women are more likely to be contributing family workers, while men are more likely to be self-employed.
– Women spend more time on unpaid household duties like food processing and childcare.
– Women in agriculture earn 18.4% less than men in wage employment.
– Gender gaps exist in areas like land ownership, access to technology, and social protection.
– Empowering women with resources can improve children’s well-being and nutritional status.
– Gender relations often devalue women’s roles in agriculture.

**Regional Gender Roles in Agriculture**:
– In North America, historical gender roles in agriculture have shifted over time due to societal changes.
– Canada’s agriculture varies by region, with different gender dynamics in Alberta, Central Canada, Quebec, and Southern Ontario.
– The C.I.S. region follows a patrilineal pattern of property inheritance in agriculture.
– Finland emphasizes conjugal collaboration and private property in its farming tradition.
– Ireland sees women gaining recognition as legal business holders on family-owned farmland.

**Women’s Roles in Farming Across Different Countries**:
– In Mexico, women traditionally tend to maize crops and are responsible for the tortilla-making process.
– In Brazil, women are actively involved in fieldwork and carry out significant responsibilities in agriculture.
– Rural women in Latin America, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and other regions engage in various farming activities with distinct gender roles and responsibilities.

**Challenges Faced by Women in Agriculture**:
– Women have limited access to finance, hindering their control over income and assets.
– Women are often under-represented in decision-making processes in rural organizations.
– Lack of access to finance and decision-making power contributes to gender disparities in agriculture.
– Addressing discriminatory gender norms is crucial for sustainable changes in agriculture.

**Importance of Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture**:
– Increasing women’s productivity alone is insufficient for improving food security and nutrition.
– Women need ownership over productive assets and income to enhance food security.
– Women’s empowerment in decision-making leads to broader social and economic changes.
– FAO emphasizes the need for women to have control over income from agriculture and off-farm employment for sustainable and transformative changes.