The Role of Women in Agriculture (College Board AP® Human Geography)

Changing Role of Women in Agriculture

• More women tend to be employed in subsistence agriculture than in commercial agriculture

  • Commercial agriculture, with its dependence on mechanization, employs fewer people overall and tends to employ more men 

• For this reason, women in less developed countries (LDCs) tend to be employed in the agricultural sector in larger percentages than women in more developed countries (MDCs)

• Shifts toward commercialization and mechanization of agriculture, including the Green Revolution, resulted in fewer women being employed in agriculture

• Women face multiple obstacles in the agricultural sector:

  • Women farmers are often denied loans or credit and have trouble accessing the necessary inputs for successful agricultural production, such as land, animals, equipment, seeds, and fertilizer

  • In some countries, laws and policies prevent women from owning or inheriting land

  • Because women often practice subsistence agriculture, they may be unable to generate a surplus of crops for sale

• Despite the barriers in the way of women’s participation in the agricultural economy, investments in rural women and women farmers have been shown to:

  • increase agricultural productivity

  • reduce hunger and malnutrition

  • improve rural economies 

• As a result, many organizations target improvements in women’s access to agriculture