ABSTRACT
Women represent almost two thirds of those engaged in some form of agriculture in South Africa (Hart and Aliber 2012). Many women do this as a main source or as an extra source of household food. The women who are involved in agriculture as a main source of food exceed men by 37 percent, while those women who are engaged in agriculture as a means of acquiring an extra source of household food exceed the men by 65 percent (Hart and Aliber 2012). According to this research, female and male agricultural roles and responsibilities are different because women are generally responsible for the supply of food. Given the large proportion of women involved in agriculture in South Africa, and given the fact that their roles in agriculture differ from their male counterparts, it is important that policies and legislation created to reduce inequalities in the agricultural sector take these differences into account. Legislation and policies should be designed to address the differences between men and women farm workers as well as the unique needs of women involved in agriculture.
