ABSTRACT
Agriculture plays a central role in providing rural livelihoods, food security, and broad-based poverty reduction. In most developing countries, agriculture is showing a low performance because women do not have the same access to assets and opportunities for more productivity. Gender equality plays a vital role for the growth of agriculture and the accomplishment of the Millennium Development Goals. Gender issues should be addressed in the development of agriculture. First, gender dimension as an economic reason is very important, especially in the agriculture sector, where gender disparities in access to assets are constant, discouraging sustainable and comprehensive development. Secondly, gender differences, occurring from the socially built relationships between men and women, influence the allocation of resources among them. Besides, gender roles have an effect on food security and household well being. This chapter focuses on gender issues in agricultural livelihoods, such as food security, livestock, agricultural labor, rural finance, and land ownership. It further documents the various roles performed by rural women in subsectors of agriculture such as livestock management, crop production, and other household tasks. The review provides solid facts on the gender gap they face in agriculture and rural labor. In the light of gender issues, certain important suggestions are given generally focusing on encouraging gender equality and women empowerment in different sectors of agriculture; also, we attempt to classify the means for improving the economic impact of women's work in agriculture to enhance food security and sustenance.
