Women and Gender in Drylands

Published on by in Social

Drylands cover approximately 41 percent of the world’s land surface and are a direct source of livelihood for 2.3 billion people or 1/3 of the world’s population

About 90% of these live in 100 developing countries. Nearly all these people - including women and children, and the drylands on which they depend, are at constant risk from land degradation and desertification due to climate change, increasing human population, depleting natural resources, and poverty. Drylands pose different challenges for rural men and women because of their different roles, relations and responsibilities, opportunities and constraints, and unequal control of and access to agricultural resources. Moreover, many policies and development interventions have often failed to recognise women’s specific needs, and their crucial role and contribution to dryland agricultural systems.

ROLES OF RURAL WOMEN IN DRYLANDS AGRICULTURE

Women and girls in drylands make significant contributions to rural economies as farmers, entrepreneurs, and laborers. They are responsible for producing and processing food, feeding and caring for family members − particularly children and the elderly, generating income and contributing to the overall well-being of their households, as well as local and global economies. Yet, in many dryland countries across Africa, Middle East, Central and South Asia, rural women continue to face discrimination and have limited access to agricultural assets, land, credit, education, healthcare, employment, information, technologies and other services. These in turn limit women’s mobility and participation in critical decision-making processes, and prevent them from fully enjoying their fundamental rights and better livelihood opportunities. 

GENDER INEQUITY AND DISCRIMINATION IN DRYLANDS

Reliable sex- and age-disaggregated statistics on roles and responsibilities in rural dryland agricultural activities are hard to come by. Despite their multiple roles, women’s access to and control over natural resources (such as land) and agricultural support services (including credit, extension services, etc.) are often limited due to complex interrelated social, economic and cultural factors. These factors force women into subordinate roles, hamper their productivity and limit their participation in critical decision-making processes. In general, women in rural drylands have little authority and often must seek permission of their husbands, fathers or brothers before committing resources or taking action in their farms and households. The combined result of unequal social, cultural and economic structures and limited political and organisational influence creates and exacerbates gender discrimination in rural drylands, which translates into women’s marginalisation, poverty, food insecurity, and limited access to opportunities and resources. This vicious circle is likely to worsen in the face of today’s unprecedented challenges, including climate change, severe population displacement and migration, transboundary infectious diseases, terrorism and extreme violence against women and girls, and widespread instability and crises in many regions of the world.

Source: DryLands

 

 

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