Women in agriculture in pakistan A Lecture By Mr.Allah Dad Khan Visiting Professor the university of Agriculture Peshawar

3.  Pakistan is a country with a great deal of diversity
in culture, traditions, habits, attitudes and
practices across its various provinces and
regions, although there are similarities as well.
So when the broad term of “Women in
Agriculture” is used, it may not highlight the
extensive and diverse role that women have in
other provinces or regions. The role and
responsibilities of women change as the
geographic area changes, along with changing
local customs and traditions. Even the gender
roles, food and nutrition practices vary across
different areas, ethnic groups as well as
ecological zones.

4.  Rural women play a very significant role in agriculture. A
large portion of rural women perform unpaid work in
agriculture. However, women’s role differs according to
geographical zones. Along the coast, women work as
agricultural labors in the cultivation of export crops as well
as in food production for the household. In the mountain
zone, women participate in all the agricultural tasks,
especially in land preparation, sowing, banking, weeding,
harvesting and irrigation and are responsible for livestock
and small scale marketing. In fisheries sector, women are
involved in food processing and marketing. As women
have the major responsibility for post harvest activities
such as processing and storage, they play a key role in
household food security.

5.  Women also perform a major role in livestock,
especially in regard to shepherding, feeding,
milking and calving. Women farmers do not
have equal access to resources and this
significantly limits their potential in
enhancing productivity. They are often at a
severe disadvantage when it comes to
securing land tenure rights, owning livestock,
accessing financial services, receiving the
kind of extension services and resources
(Amin et al, 2009).

6.  The prosperity and growth of a nation
depends on the position and development of
its females, as they not only constitute nearly
half of its population but also positively
influence the growth of remaining half of the
population. Rural women play momentous
role in many agricultural activities in many
countries. They perform almost all types of
activities in agriculture and livestock sector

7.  The major constraint for the involvement of
women in agricultural activities is the
household activities which takes much time
to perform it. In Pakistan, majority of
population live in rural areas whose source of
revenue depends directly or indirectly on
agriculture sector

8.  Rural women in Pakistan are among the millions
of landless and small farmers (Sadaf et al, 2006).
Rural women rely on crop production and
livestock sector to fulfill their basic needs of
food, clothing and shelter. These women play a
key role in agriculture growth, livestock raising,
cottage industry and stay busy from sunrise to
sunset to provide food to men in the fields,
fetching water, collecting fuel wood and
management of livestock. While working
shoulder to shoulder with men, they really
supplement their efforts in the cultivation of the
crops right from the preparation of soil to the
post harvest operations.

9. Recomme
ndation

10.  Attitudinal and behavioral change particularly
in men is very important in improving the
plight of the women in Pakistan. There are
certain social taboos which are hampering the
access to education and training. Women
should get equal opportunity of education
just like men. They have a right to good
health and they should stand up and speak
for their right. It is recommended that ways
to raise awareness and provide education to
address gender issues must be provided

11.  In order to improve women participation in dairy and
agriculture industry we have to identify their role and
type of work in these industries as mango and citrus
are considered heavy crops. Women are involved in
picking, grading and packing activities at Mitchells
Industries in Okara district and there is need to
implement that style in other areas as well.
Therefore, by imparting post harvest management
skills such as processing, packing and quality control
will help them in establishing juice, jam and pickle
industries at local level. It will promote local
entrepreneurships. It is recommended that
agriculture training for women be offered on farms
and in local villages

12.  Rural women generally lack training, skills
and opportunities in this area. There is need
to involve urbanite women in this area so that
they could also play an effective role in this
area as well. It is recommended that
developmental programmes should be
launched to engage urban women with rural
women in order to develop market skills in
rural women so that they could get good
price for their produce

13.  They can play a positive role in improving
women participation in agriculture industry in
Pakistan by providing training to women at
their door step. There are farm field schools
for men in some areas of the Punjab so there
is need to replicate this experiment for
women as well. It is recommended to develop
a training programme for female agriculture
extension workers

14.  Women should be encouraged to have
economic independence. The government
should investigate opportunities for
developing agricultural entrepreneurial
activities with concomitant training for
women.