The agricultural sector and women's work in Asia

Gender differences in the agricultural sector of many Asian countries are quite pronounced, not only in terms of unpaid work burdens but also in the types of employment in which people engage. This chapter explores the evidence on these gender differences, specifically focusing on gendered labor access and opportunities in the agricultural sectors across Asia’s developing countries. First, it conceptualizes gender-contested spaces in the agricultural sector and how gender differences are linked with social norms, economic constraints, institutions, and international processes. Second, it analyzes major patterns shaping the extent of women’s experience in agricultural industries by exploring the relationships between women’s agricultural employment and economic development, trade liberalization, the availability of opportunities to work as wage laborers vs. self-employed farmers, and global value chains. Third, it elaborates on how gender differences are constructed and sustained with regard to age, perceptions, social norms, time use, unremunerated productive work, agricultural productivity, landholding, and the allocation of agricultural resources. Lastly, the chapter explores how to dismantle the gendered structure of constraints and eliminate barriers to women’s participation. Along the way, we bring in lessons about spatial spillover effects and how women’s employment in agriculture along these various dimensions can contribute to employment generation, poverty reduction, and overall economic growth in other parts of the economy.