Neglect of women farmers

Women farmers tend to be ignored by programmes designed to improve agricultural production, even though they play a critical role in food production. In view of the woman farmer's great responsibility in the home and family and on the farm, particular importance should be given to the development of personality, promotion of the will to learn, mobility and self-determination. However, women farmers are usually not kept in touch with current political and social developments. Training courses whereby each individual can advance both within and outside his or her field of activity are usually not designed so that women farmers can attend them without problems of time or money. Further training courses do not cover a sufficiently wide range of subjects to facilitate a more modern form of organization of household, family and farm duties. Agricultural further training does not always take account of the specific needs of women farmers who have come from other backgrounds; it is rarely accompanied by general, political and social adult education courses.

Women form a large agricultural labour force in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and in sub-Saharan Africa most food is grown by women. Most agricultural programmes tend to neglect the needs of women farmers.