n the field of agricultural and rural development, gender
issues have now become an important part. Many reports indicate that there is a
changing gender role in agricultural activities. The involvement and the
significant role of women in daily farming operations has been noticed and
noted globally.
Although men are involved in daily agricultural operations, due to the increase of the various needs of a household’s economy, their involvement in daily agricultural activities has considerably decreased. Men, in many cases, have diversified their activities from solely on-farm, to also off-farm and non-farm work, in order to generate more cash income.
In general, land ownership could only generate small income through farming. In addition, due to the limitation of asset ownership, farming households could only operate a small scale alternative farming business, such as livestock and fish breeding. Now, agriculture no longer serves as a single income source, and men have been expanding their activities beyond the farm.
The reduction of men’s involvement in on-farm activities, and the intensification of their role in off-farm or non-farm activities, to some extent force women to take more care of daily farming activities. Heavy work such as land preparation will be handled by men; while other activities will be given to women. However, in dry, upland areas, women are also involved in land preparation (Subejo, 2011).
Today, rural women are becoming more involved in many more of the farming operations than was the case in the past. Traditionally, women were associated with light and delicate work such as planting, weeding and harvesting, while men focused on hard or physically demanding jobs, such as land preparation and transporting crops.
The role of women laborers in large scale farming has also greatly increased. In many horticultural farms that grow things such as vegetables, fruits and flowers, the role of women workers is also increasing.
This recent phenomenon of the domination of women in various agricultural activities is regarded by many researchers as the “feminization of agriculture”. The role of women is also not restricted to food production, for instance, women in rural India have been the main source of labor in dairy farms and related industries.
Despite the increasingly important role of women, policies to improve women’s participation in agricultural activities remain very limited. The gender-biased policy gives women less opportunities in some respects, such as technology development, information access and level of labor payment.
Indications of gender-bias in technology policy development and transfer are obvious in developing countries. Men are given more advantages and chances to access agricultural technologies, knowledge and information than women, because of their status as household leaders. Invitations to formal meetings, such as on various field farming practices, is commonly only extended to household heads (men), or their sons. Women may attend such meetings only if they are widows.
Further, knowledge and information on various topics related to farming operations is transferred mostly to men. And worse still, the transfer of knowledge and information from men to women occurs at a glacial speed.
Development of gender-biased agricultural technologies is something entrenched in the industry. My study in 2010 found that agricultural technologies, such as transplanting machines, pesticide sprayers, tractors, and harvesters, are designed to be operated by men.
While women have been playing a more dominant role in rural farming, the machines or agricultural tools available are not suitable for them.
With regard to labor payment, my study in Central Java’s rural area reveals that labor payment in farming activities varies between operational and gender structures, as well as contract systems. There are some differences between the wages paid to men and women. Men are commonly involved in heavier, or more physically demanding jobs, and therefore deserve a higher wage.
In fact, many farming activities that currently are undertaken by women also need tight and delicate work, such as transplanting, weeding, harvesting and threshing. Commonly there is no difference in term of working hours between men and women, so theoretically women should receive at least an equal wages. But so far, it has not been the case.
New strategies are badly needed to empower rural women. These may take the shape of gaining access to agricultural meetings, training and practices, as well as the invention of technologies sensitive to women, or farming machines which can be operated by both women and men.
Rural administrative and field extension workers should also be more gender sensitive; they should provide greater chances to rural women of being involved in farming extension practices, as well as knowledge and information transfer. Invitations to meetings could be addressed to all persons who are involved in daily farming activities — including housewives or their daughters.
In case of making the system of labor payment a fairer one, differentiation could be made based on the type or characteristics of the activity. Either way, men and women who do the same activity should earn an equal amount of pay.
Although men are involved in daily agricultural operations, due to the increase of the various needs of a household’s economy, their involvement in daily agricultural activities has considerably decreased. Men, in many cases, have diversified their activities from solely on-farm, to also off-farm and non-farm work, in order to generate more cash income.
In general, land ownership could only generate small income through farming. In addition, due to the limitation of asset ownership, farming households could only operate a small scale alternative farming business, such as livestock and fish breeding. Now, agriculture no longer serves as a single income source, and men have been expanding their activities beyond the farm.
The reduction of men’s involvement in on-farm activities, and the intensification of their role in off-farm or non-farm activities, to some extent force women to take more care of daily farming activities. Heavy work such as land preparation will be handled by men; while other activities will be given to women. However, in dry, upland areas, women are also involved in land preparation (Subejo, 2011).
Today, rural women are becoming more involved in many more of the farming operations than was the case in the past. Traditionally, women were associated with light and delicate work such as planting, weeding and harvesting, while men focused on hard or physically demanding jobs, such as land preparation and transporting crops.
The role of women laborers in large scale farming has also greatly increased. In many horticultural farms that grow things such as vegetables, fruits and flowers, the role of women workers is also increasing.
This recent phenomenon of the domination of women in various agricultural activities is regarded by many researchers as the “feminization of agriculture”. The role of women is also not restricted to food production, for instance, women in rural India have been the main source of labor in dairy farms and related industries.
Despite the increasingly important role of women, policies to improve women’s participation in agricultural activities remain very limited. The gender-biased policy gives women less opportunities in some respects, such as technology development, information access and level of labor payment.
Indications of gender-bias in technology policy development and transfer are obvious in developing countries. Men are given more advantages and chances to access agricultural technologies, knowledge and information than women, because of their status as household leaders. Invitations to formal meetings, such as on various field farming practices, is commonly only extended to household heads (men), or their sons. Women may attend such meetings only if they are widows.
Further, knowledge and information on various topics related to farming operations is transferred mostly to men. And worse still, the transfer of knowledge and information from men to women occurs at a glacial speed.
Development of gender-biased agricultural technologies is something entrenched in the industry. My study in 2010 found that agricultural technologies, such as transplanting machines, pesticide sprayers, tractors, and harvesters, are designed to be operated by men.
While women have been playing a more dominant role in rural farming, the machines or agricultural tools available are not suitable for them.
With regard to labor payment, my study in Central Java’s rural area reveals that labor payment in farming activities varies between operational and gender structures, as well as contract systems. There are some differences between the wages paid to men and women. Men are commonly involved in heavier, or more physically demanding jobs, and therefore deserve a higher wage.
In fact, many farming activities that currently are undertaken by women also need tight and delicate work, such as transplanting, weeding, harvesting and threshing. Commonly there is no difference in term of working hours between men and women, so theoretically women should receive at least an equal wages. But so far, it has not been the case.
New strategies are badly needed to empower rural women. These may take the shape of gaining access to agricultural meetings, training and practices, as well as the invention of technologies sensitive to women, or farming machines which can be operated by both women and men.
Rural administrative and field extension workers should also be more gender sensitive; they should provide greater chances to rural women of being involved in farming extension practices, as well as knowledge and information transfer. Invitations to meetings could be addressed to all persons who are involved in daily farming activities — including housewives or their daughters.
In case of making the system of labor payment a fairer one, differentiation could be made based on the type or characteristics of the activity. Either way, men and women who do the same activity should earn an equal amount of pay.
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