Since many of the poorest people in the world are women, eradicating poverty is a key challenge for rural women
By Ali Nawaz Rahimoo
Women in rural areas are key agents. They play a catalytic role in achieving the transformational economic, environmental, and social changes required for sustainable development. However, limited access to credit, healthcare, and education are among the many challenges they face. These issues are further aggravated by the global food and economic crises and climate change. Empowering women is essential—not only for the well-being of individuals, families, and rural communities but also for overall economic productivity, given women’s large presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide.
With equal resources, women could contribute much more. It is estimated that if women farmers had the same access as men, agricultural output in 34 developing countries would rise by an average of up to 4 percent. This could significantly reduce the number of undernourished people in these countries, translating into fewer millions of hungry individuals.
Pakistan has inherited a very efficient and hardworking rural women labor force. While women’s participation is evident across every sector of the economy, it is heavily concentrated in agriculture. Rural women perform numerous labor-intensive jobs such as weeding, hoeing, grass-cutting, picking, cotton stick collection, and seed separation from fiber, among others. Women also collect wood from fields, which is a major fuel source for cooking.
Access to clean drinking water is another major problem in rural areas. Fetching water from remote areas is also women’s duty. Additionally, rural women are responsible for maintaining livestock and related activities such as milking, milk processing, and preparing butter and ghee. Livestock is primarily a subsistence activity to meet household food needs and supplement farm income. A majority of peasants own some livestock, and their livestock strength is influenced by various factors such as farm size, cropping patterns, and the availability of range land, fodder, and pasture.
It is a common practice in rural areas to include an animal as part of a woman’s dowry. The number of small ruminants (sheep and goats) per family is typically three. Studies reveal that rural women earn, on average, Rs. 8,780 annually from the sale of animals. They also clean animals, livestock sheds, water, and milk animals. Moreover, they are responsible for collecting cow dung and preparing dung cakes, activities that also contribute to the income of poor families.
Evidently, rural women are involved in almost all livestock-related activities. The Labour Survey of Pakistan (2006-07) revealed that 31 percent of animal feeding is done by women; they also carry out 58 percent of milking and milk processing, and 90 percent of dung cake preparation. Nearly 90 percent of women are involved in shed cleaning, and 85 percent in collecting farmyard manure. Watering duties are performed by 69 percent of women. Men, however, share responsibilities such as caring for sick animals.
Poultry farming is another major source of rural income, and women’s participation at the household level plays a central role. Despite not necessarily using modern management techniques like vaccination and improved feed, their enterprise in this sector is impressive, and annual income from poultry farming continues to increase.
Traditionally, cotton picking is an activity exclusively performed by women. According to the labor survey, 89 percent of women participate in cotton picking. They are also extensively involved in other activities, such as hoeing (30 percent) and weeding (22 percent).
A rural woman’s day begins at dawn and ends at dusk. Her routine includes house cleaning, fetching drinking water, dish-washing, laundry, and preparing food for the family, caring for children, tailoring, and sewing clothes. She manages these activities very efficiently.
Although rural women supply half of the country’s food production, their own food security remains at risk. Most poor rural women suffer from malnutrition and have poor health. Women farmers are often ignored in development strategies and policies. Despite their extensive involvement, their social, economic, and political status remains low.
For improving their situation and recognizing their contributions to agriculture and allied fields, the following recommendations are proposed:
The roles of women in the rural economy and informal sectors should be formally recognized, and their labor contributions should be accounted for in monetary terms.
Steps should be taken to ensure poor rural women have access to land, agricultural and livestock extension services, and support mechanisms.
Easier access to micro-credit should be provided to women.
Urgent measures should be implemented to enhance female literacy and improve their educational levels. A separate education policy for women may be beneficial.
Laws and policies should be framed to eliminate negative customary practices, and access to justice should be improved.
Since many of the poorest people in the world are women, eradicating poverty is a key challenge for rural women.
Food security, which has four main components—availability, access, utilization, and stability—will improve if women have access to necessary assets, resources, and a voice in decision-making impacting their households and communities.
Read: Depleting, Polluted Aquifers in Thar Desert
__________________
Ali Nawaz Rahimoo, based in Umerkot, Sindh is a social development professional. He can be contacted on anrahimoo@gmail.com
