Bid to enhance role of women in agriculture

THE enormous role that women play in agriculture is often invisible to the general public. One reason is that farming is traditionally regarded as “men’s work”. Another is that few women farm in their own right.

That’s because they rarely inherit land due to the inter-generation transfer of farms through the male line. Yet, they still contribute almost 30% of the agricultural workforce.

They provide analytical skills, contribute to strategic development decisions, look after “the books” and deal with the red tape of modern farming. Farm women are also very involved in livestock care and provide “life support” systems as carers and household managers. And still their numbers are low at decision-making levels in agricultural organisations and in policy-making.