Feminization of agriculture: Building evidence to debunk myths on current challenges and opportunities (webinar #2)

Two main narratives can be distinguished. The first is negative. It captures and documents that women’s workload in agriculture is increasing, yet women lack the resources needed for success like access to extension services, credit, hired labor, and so on. Women are thus “left behind” and “left out” as men move into more lucrative off-farm economic activities. In this interpretation, the consequences for agri-food systems can be concerning or purely negative. The second narrative frames feminization of agriculture as an opportunity for women’s empowerment and improved gender equality as women get more autonomy and their visibility and voice increase. This interpretation suggests that the feminization of agriculture could have positive effects on agri-food systems.