Assessment of Empowerment of Women Farmers in Decision Making in Agriculture and Livestock Activities
Keywords:
Patriarchal society, Fundamental rights, Illiteracy, Poverty, Unpaid labour, Property ownership, Cultural constraints
Abstract
In Pakistan, women constitute about 67% of the agricultural labor force, engaged in agriculture and its sub-sectors to support their families. Because of the patriarchal society, women have been discriminated against in acquiring fundamental rights and decision-making in numerous aspects of life, including various farm and livestock-related activities. No or very limited studies have been conducted regarding women farmers' empowerment, especially in the Ghotki, Naushahro Feroz, and Badin districts of Sindh. Hence, this qualitative study was carried out in districts Ghotki, Naushahro Feroz, and Badin, Sindh to determine women farmers' perceptions about their empowerment regarding decision-making in agriculture activities. Thirty IDIs and nine FGDs were conducted through purposive sampling, and the collected data were analyzed through thematic analyses. This study reveals that women farmers perform various agricultural and livestock tasks for about 6 to 8 hours a day with their man folks. Illiteracy and poverty were the main reasons behind their engagement in the sector, and they worked as unpaid labour with their men. Women farmers have limited decision-making authority in various crop activities, the sale and purchase of agricultural goods, livestock, and its by-products, due to cultural constraints, they have no access to the agricultural market. This study suggests that education, professional training, and property ownership rights may be provided to women farmers to grow economically and be productive for future generations, society, and the country.
References
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Zaheer, D. R., Zeb, A., & Khattak, S. W. (2014). Women participation in Agriculture in Pakistan (An overview of the constraint and problems faced by rural women). IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16(2), 01–04. https://doi.org/10.9790/487x-16220104
Abbasi, S. S., & Jafri, Q. A. (2013). Role of Women in Crop Production in District Pakpattan, Pakistan. International Journal of Agricultural Science and Research, 3(3). 161-170.
Afzal, A., Jayasuriya, S., & Meehan, S. (2020). Gender Issues and Horticulture Markets in Pakistan. Policy and Institutional Reforms to Improve Horticultural Markets in Pakistan, (ADP2014/043). 1-32. Retrieved from https://www.monash.edu/_data/assets/pdf_file/0010/1461187/Gender-in-Horticulture-paper-Revised-version-May-2020.pdf
Akram, M. B., Iqbal, A., & Mahmood, Q. K. (2019). Role of Rural Women in Livestock Production in District Pakpattan. Pakistan. J Agric. Res, 57(2). 127-134.
Akram, N. (2018). Women’s empowerment in Pakistan: Its dimensions and determinants. Social Indicators Research, 140(2), 755-775. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-017-1793-z
Akter, S., Rutsaert, P., Luis, J., Htwe, N. M., San, S. S., Raharjo, B., & Pustika, A. (2017). Women’s empowerment and gender equity in agriculture: A different perspective from Southeast Asia. Food Policy, 69, 270–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.05.003
Alhojailan, M. I. (2012). Thematic Analysis: A Critical Review of Its Process and Evaluation. West East Journal of Social Sciences, 1(1), 8–21
Ali, H. L. (2016). Livestock Farming and Participation of Women A Case study of District Charsadda Pakistan. Journal of Culture, Society, and Development, 18. 22-31.
Andaleeb, N., Khan, M., & Shah, S. A (2017). Factors affecting women participation in livestock farming in District Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 33(2). 288-292. http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2017/33.2.288.292
Awan, Z. A., Akhtar, K., Khan, L. A., & Imran, A. U. (2021). Women’s participation and their constraints in livestock management activities: A case study of district Bahawalpur in Punjab, Pakistan. International Journal of Veterinary Science and Research, 7(2), 083-087. https://doi.org/10.17352/ijvsr.000085
Aziz, N., Ren, Y., Rong, K., & Zhou, J. (2021). Women’s empowerment in agriculture and household food insecurity: Evidence from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Pakistan. Land Use Policy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.105249
Bhanotra, A., Wankhade, V., Khandey, S. A., & Kumar, P. (2015). Role of Rural Women in Decision Making Process Regarding Livestock Management. Journal of Animal Research, 5(3). 555-559. https://doi.org/10.5958/2277-940X.2015.00093.5
Brohi, A. A., & Kakepoto, H. (2013). Gender differential treatment in social development: A sociological study in rural Sindh. Journal of New Horizons, 7(2). 9–20.
Dudi, A., & Meena, M. L. (2017). Participation and decision making pattern of farm women in agriculture. Asian Journal of Home Science, 12(1), 109–113. https://doi.org/10.15740/has/ajhs/12.1/109-113
FAO. (2015). Women in Agriculture in Pakistan. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Islamabad. Retrieved from http://www.fao.org/3/i4330e/i4330e.pdf
Godara, A. S., Poonia, U., & Jyani, U. (2014). Role of Women in Decision-Making process in Agriculture Sector: A Case Study of District Fatehabad. International Journal of Scientiϔic and Research Publications, 4(2), 1–9.
Hussain, B. A., & Hussain, N. A. (2011). Decision-making power among rural women at gross-root level. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, 2(5), 18–24.
Ishaq, W., & Memon, S. Q. (2016). Roles of women in agriculture: A case study of rural Lahore, Pakistan. Journal of Rural Development and Agriculture, 1(1), 1-11.
Kabeer N. (2005). Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: A Critical Analysis of the Third Millennium Development Goal. Retrieved From https://www.amherst.edu/system/files/media/0589/Kabeer%25202005.pdf
Khan, A. A., Khan, K., & Hussain, M. E. (2020). Socioeconomic conditions of rural women and their participation in livestock management activities in Chiniot District of the Punjab, Pakistan. Journal of Geography and Social Sciences, 2(2), 183–199.
Khowaja, I. A., Khaskhelly, A. Z., Chandio, R. A., & Mangi, A. A. (2014). An Analysis of the Participation of Rural Women's Activities in Agriculture Sector of Sindh: A Case Study of District Tando Allahyar. The Women – Annual Research Journal, 6.
Manzoor, A., Khan, I. A., Ashfaq, H., Jabeen, N., & Maan, A. A. (2018). Women’s involvement in livestock care and management: Implications for their social life in the Punjab, Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 55(1), 239–242. https://doi.org/10.21162/PAKJAS/18.5581
Muhammad, F., Hassan, M. A., & Mehmood, T. (2020). An overview of the existing problems faced by Pakistani women in agriculture: Conclusion and recommendation. Ecofeminism and Climate Change, 1(2). 97-104. https://doi.org/10.1108/EFCC-04-2020-0010
Naz, S., Khan, N. P., Khan, H., & Azra. (2020). Does women’s participation in livestock management enhance their empowerment? An insight from the tribal belt of Pakistan. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 36(3), 823-831. http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2020/36.3.823.831.
Pakistan Economic Survey. (2017). Finance Division, Government of Pakistan. Retrieved From https://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapters_18/Economic_Survey_2017_18.pdf
Pakistan Economic Survey. (2019). Finance Division, Government of Pakistan. Retrieved From http://www.finance.gov.pk/survey/chapters_19/Economic_Survey_2018_19.pdf
Paul, M. M., & Rani, P. R. (2017). Gender differences in the rural families regarding the decision making, access and control over assets-A review. Research Journal of Family, Community, and Consumer Sciences, 5(7), 1-6.
Rashid, S., Khan, I. A., Shahbaz, B., Luqman, M., & Chaudhry A. (2017). Role of rural women in agricultural activities and household food security: A case study in Faisalabad district. J Agric., Res., 55(3), 585-589.
Rehman, A., Ping, Q., & Razzaq, A. (2019). Pathways and associations between women’s land ownership and child food and nutrition
security in Pakistan. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(18), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16183360
Riasat, A., Zafar, M. I., Khan, I. A., Amir, R. M., & Riasat, G. (2014). Rural development through women participation in Livestock care and management in district Faisalabad. Journal of Global Innovations in Agricultural and Social Sciences, 2(1), 31–34. https://doi.org/10.17957/jgiass/2.1.458
Roy. P. K ., Haque, S ., Jannat, A ., Ali, M ., & Khan, M. S. (2017). Contribution of women to household income and decision-making in some selected areas of Mymensingh in Bangladesh. Progressive Agriculture 28(2). 120-129. https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v28i2.33473
Safdar, M., & Pervaiz, U. (2020). Constraints in accessing agricultural extension services by rural women: Evidence from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Sarhad Journal of Agriculture, 36(4). 1295-1306. http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.sja/2020/36.4.1295.1306
Tongco, M. D. C. (2007). Purposive sampling as a tool for informant selection. Ethnobotany Research and applications, 5, 147-158.
UN. (1995). Guidelines on Women’s Empowerment. United Nations Population Information Network. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/Guidelines_complete_text_without_figures_296K.pdf
UN. (2018). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas. Human Rights Council. A/HRC/RES/39/12. Retrieved from https://www.geneva-academy.ch/joomlatools-files/docman-files/UN%20Declaration%20on%20the%20rights%20of%20peasants.pdf
UNDP. (2020) Sustainable Development Goals. United Nation Development Program. Retrieved From https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org
Usman, S. M., Siddiqui, B. N., & Tareen, W. (2019). Gender role in sustainable livestock management in Rawalpindi district. J. Agric. Res., 57(1). 51-54.
Williams, C. (2007). Research methods. Journal of Business & Economics Research (JBER), 5(3).
Zaheer, D. R., Zeb, A., & Khattak, S. W. (2014). Women participation in Agriculture in Pakistan (An overview of the constraint and problems faced by rural women). IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 16(2), 01–04. https://doi.org/10.9790/487x-16220104
Published
2021-11-10
How to Cite
Parvez Hussain Sahito, Ameer Ali Abro, & Mukesh Kumar Khatwani. (2021). Assessment of Empowerment of Women Farmers in Decision Making in Agriculture and Livestock Activities. Journal of Management Practices, Humanities and Social Sciences, 5(5), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.33152/jmphss-5.5.1
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