Women in agriculture say barriers to equality persist, removal to take decades: Study

For women in agriculture around the world, whether in developing or developed countries, there is widespread gender discrimination and the removal could take decades, says a study.

According to a study by Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture division of DowDuPont, although women are proud to be in agriculture, they perceive gender discrimination as widespread, ranging from 78 per cent in India to 52 per cent in the US.

As per the 17-country study, that included 4,160 respondents living in both the developed and developing world, only half of the respondents said they are equally successful as their male counterparts.

"While we know women make up almost half of the world's farmers, this study validates challenges continue to persist, holding back not only the women in agriculture but also the people who depend on them: their families, their communities, and the societies," said Krysta Harden, vice president external affairs and chief sustainability officer of Corteva Agriscience.

Almost 40 per cent of the respondents reported lower income than men and less access to financing. High on the list of concerns were financial stability, the welfare of their families and achieving a work/life balance.

As per the study, 72 per cent said it would take one to three decades or more to achieve full equality. Some of the key actions required to remove obstacles to equality include more training in technology, more academic education, more support ? legal and otherwise.

The desire for training emerged as the most commonly cited need among the respondents for removing gender inequality obstacles. The numbers significantly exceeded 50 per cent for all 17 countries, with Brazil, Nigeria, Kenya, Mexico and South Africa leading the way.

"In India, we work with over 30,000 women farmers across Jharkhand and Bihar to provide them training that enables enhanced farm productivity and economic prosperity," said K V Subbarao, Managing Director, South Asia, Corteva Agriscience.

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The survey was conducted between August and September 2018 and the countries surveyed include China, India, Indonesia, Australia, the US, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa.