The impact of sociocultural factors on women smallholder farmers: Middle East and North Africa

Abstract

Gender inequality persists in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region because of an entrenched patriarchy from within the private domain of households to communities, to a more systemic patriarchy sustained by the state and other key political and economic institutions. In agriculture, the largest employer of women in the MENA region, this is manifested in many ways, including women’s marginalization from land rights and subsequently from access to credit and information; seeing themselves and being labeled as helpers instead of farmers, including as housewives on their national IDs; gender wage gaps and discrimination for paid work; and having to contend with sexual harassment. Although women exercise their agency to transgress these harmful norms, often by accentuating other norms, enforcing existing legislation and targeted gender-transformative approaches to challenge these norms is a necessary first step to enable women to benefit from their engagement in agriculture.