ABSTRACT

Around the world, women are important contributors to agriculture. Yet, at the same time, women are also the most marginalized farmers in the world. Their many contributions to food production are often invisible and unrecognized, despite the necessity, importance, and value of these contributions. The most recent State of Food and Agriculture report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2014) highlights ongoing challenges for women in agriculture, including lack of access to resources and infrastructure (resulting in lost productivity), lack of household decision-making power, and gender biases in policymaking and leadership. There is also a strong need for information about effective interventions to improve the situation for women in agriculture, including gender-based evaluations of particular policies and programs (World Bank, Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development 2008, 676).