A synthesis report of the Near East Region - Women, agriculture and rural development

Annex I: The role of women in crop production

Country

Role of Women in Crop Production

Cyprus

Women's participation in crop production has increased as a result of male migration to urban areas to seek employment. Men and women are equally responsible for the production of potatoes, citrus, vines, greenhouse vegetables, pulses and deciduous fruit crops. Women are responsible for planting, pruning, grafting, harvesting and processing grapes. Women are involved in the sowing, planting, irrigating and spraying of many crops as well as in feed preparation.

Egypt

According to a special sample survey carried out in four governorates, women are active in all aspects of crop production, with the exception of land preparation and pest control. Women work in both subsistence and cash crop production, and contribute 50% of the work in seed treatment and harvesting of peanuts, and 50% of the work required in the cultivation of potatoes, tomatoes, broad beans, lentils, peanuts and soybeans. In the production of wheat, maize, rice and berseem (clover), women are involved in storage and marketing.

Iran

The extent to which women participate in crop production in Iran depends primarily on farm size. Women from poor and small land-holdings are more actively engaged in crop production than women from larger and richer farms. The increase in the use of mechanization has also altered the nature of women's participation in crop production. As agricultural land is consolidated into larger plots to make mechanization more economically feasible and to increase efficiency and output, women's traditional roles in sowing, fertilizing and harvesting have been replaced by an increase in their involvement in post-harvest activities such as processing, cleaning and storage. Compared to other crops, women's share of labour is greatest in rice cultivation.

Iraq

Women are responsible for weeding and post-harvest processing.

Jordan

Female wage labourers plant, weed, thin, fertilize, pick, harvest and pack.

Lebanon

Women are responsible for sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing. It appears that women's workloads are greater in non-irrigated than in irrigated areas, due to poorer economic standards in non-irrigated areas. Women are involved in seed preparation, planting, irrigating, weeding and harvesting of tobacco, and in many aspects of fruit and olive tree growing and vegetable greenhouse production.

Mauritania

Women are involved in sowing, weeding, plant protection, maintenance, harvesting, food preparation, storage, preservation, treatment and marketing of crops. In rice production, women provide inputs only, while in dates production, women irrigate, maintain, pack, store and market.

Country

Role of Women in Crop Production .

Morocco

The extent of women's participation in crop production depends on the season. According to data gathered in 1986-87, women are responsible for 34.8% of the work associated with cereal, legume and fodder production, compared to 39.5% of that relating to livestock production. A study conducted for RPAWANE 2000 in Morocco showed that women's participation was greater in livestock production (67.8%) than in crop production (46.2%), and that women in marginal rainfed regions worked more in crop production than in irrigated zones and the favourable rainfed areas. In all three zones, women worked similar hours in cleaning, weeding, harvesting and storing, while their involvement in sowing, irrigating, pest control and fertilizing depended on the zones in which they worked and on the crops themselves. Furthermore, the RPAWANE 2000 study showed that the overall percentage of women's participation was 41% in crop production and 51.8% in livestock production, although these percentages varied according to zone.

Oman

Women's participation in crop production has increased significantly as a result of male migration to urban areas. According to PRA interviews, women are responsible for weeding, packing, processing (drying), threshing and storage, while men are responsible for seedbed preparation, planting, fertilizing, pest control and marketing.

Somalia

According to a study in 1984 of the Bay Region, women and men share crop production activities. For example, in banana production, which is the main cash crop and second largest export commodity in the country, women fertilize and transport bananas to packing centres, while men irrigate and harvest the banana crop. Women are also responsible for the marketing of mango, potato, lemon, watermelon, vegetables and firewood to supplement their family income.

Sudan

Men often seek off-farm employment in urban areas, while women are left behind to do all crop production activities. A baseline survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1989 showed that women were responsible for land clearing and preparation, seed treatment, sowing, harvesting, transporting, as well as pest control.

Syria

Women are involved in all labour-intensive crop production activities such as sowing, thinning and weeding.

Tunisia

Women are active in many crop production activities such as hoeing, weeding, harvesting, threshing and processing, especially in regions with heavy male out-migration.

Country

Role of Women in Crop Production

Turkey

The extent of women's participation in crop production is a function of farm size and farming system. On large agricultural enterprises that rely heavily on mechanization, women from landless families are involved in various labour-intensive tasks as wage labourers. On , medium-sized farms, women do labour-intensive work to complement the mechanized work carried out by men. On small-sized farms, women have predominant responsibility in all aspects of crop production, as men from these farms often seek off-farm employment. Thus, according to a study in Erzurum, the role of women is greatest on small farms, which rely mostly on unpaid women's work for , crop production. Furthermore, the role of women in regions that grow traditional crops such as wheat and barley has diminished due to , mechanization, while their role in cash crop production has increased, such as in cotton production in southern Turkey. In the eastern , region of the country where dryland farming is practiced, women work an average of 45 days per year in agriculture, devoting most of , their time to livestock production. ,

Yemen

Women are responsible for 53% of all the work required in agricultural production. Approximately 40% and 20% of all the work needed , in vegetable and fruit production is provided by women, respectively.

Country	Role of Women in Crop Production
Cyprus	Women's participation in crop production has increased as a result of male migration to urban areas to seek employment. Men and women are equally responsible for the production of potatoes, citrus, vines, greenhouse vegetables, pulses and deciduous fruit crops. Women are responsible for planting, pruning, grafting, harvesting and processing grapes. Women are involved in the sowing, planting, irrigating and spraying of many crops as well as in feed preparation.
Egypt	According to a special sample survey carried out in four governorates, women are active in all aspects of crop production, with the exception of land preparation and pest control. Women work in both subsistence and cash crop production, and contribute 50% of the work in seed treatment and harvesting of peanuts, and 50% of the work required in the cultivation of potatoes, tomatoes, broad beans, lentils, peanuts and soybeans. In the production of wheat, maize, rice and berseem (clover), women are involved in storage and marketing.
Iran	The extent to which women participate in crop production in Iran depends primarily on farm size. Women from poor and small land-holdings are more actively engaged in crop production than women from larger and richer farms. The increase in the use of mechanization has also altered the nature of women's participation in crop production. As agricultural land is consolidated into larger plots to make mechanization more economically feasible and to increase efficiency and output, women's traditional roles in sowing, fertilizing and harvesting have been replaced by an increase in their involvement in post-harvest activities such as processing, cleaning and storage. Compared to other crops, women's share of labour is greatest in rice cultivation.
Iraq	Women are responsible for weeding and post-harvest processing.
Jordan	Female wage labourers plant, weed, thin, fertilize, pick, harvest and pack.
Lebanon	Women are responsible for sowing, weeding, harvesting and processing. It appears that women's workloads are greater in non-irrigated than in irrigated areas, due to poorer economic standards in non-irrigated areas. Women are involved in seed preparation, planting, irrigating, weeding and harvesting of tobacco, and in many aspects of fruit and olive tree growing and vegetable greenhouse production.
Mauritania	Women are involved in sowing, weeding, plant protection, maintenance, harvesting, food preparation, storage, preservation, treatment and marketing of crops. In rice production, women provide inputs only, while in dates production, women irrigate, maintain, pack, store and market.

Country	Role of Women in Crop Production .
Morocco	The extent of women's participation in crop production depends on the season. According to data gathered in 1986-87, women are responsible for 34.8% of the work associated with cereal, legume and fodder production, compared to 39.5% of that relating to livestock production. A study conducted for RPAWANE 2000 in Morocco showed that women's participation was greater in livestock production (67.8%) than in crop production (46.2%), and that women in marginal rainfed regions worked more in crop production than in irrigated zones and the favourable rainfed areas. In all three zones, women worked similar hours in cleaning, weeding, harvesting and storing, while their involvement in sowing, irrigating, pest control and fertilizing depended on the zones in which they worked and on the crops themselves. Furthermore, the RPAWANE 2000 study showed that the overall percentage of women's participation was 41% in crop production and 51.8% in livestock production, although these percentages varied according to zone.
Oman	Women's participation in crop production has increased significantly as a result of male migration to urban areas. According to PRA interviews, women are responsible for weeding, packing, processing (drying), threshing and storage, while men are responsible for seedbed preparation, planting, fertilizing, pest control and marketing.
Somalia	According to a study in 1984 of the Bay Region, women and men share crop production activities. For example, in banana production, which is the main cash crop and second largest export commodity in the country, women fertilize and transport bananas to packing centres, while men irrigate and harvest the banana crop. Women are also responsible for the marketing of mango, potato, lemon, watermelon, vegetables and firewood to supplement their family income.
Sudan	Men often seek off-farm employment in urban areas, while women are left behind to do all crop production activities. A baseline survey conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1989 showed that women were responsible for land clearing and preparation, seed treatment, sowing, harvesting, transporting, as well as pest control.
Syria	Women are involved in all labour-intensive crop production activities such as sowing, thinning and weeding.
Tunisia	Women are active in many crop production activities such as hoeing, weeding, harvesting, threshing and processing, especially in regions with heavy male out-migration.

Country	Role of Women in Crop Production
Turkey	The extent of women's participation in crop production is a function of farm size and farming system. On large agricultural enterprises that rely heavily on mechanization, women from landless families are involved in various labour-intensive tasks as wage labourers. On , medium-sized farms, women do labour-intensive work to complement the mechanized work carried out by men. On small-sized farms, women have predominant responsibility in all aspects of crop production, as men from these farms often seek off-farm employment. Thus, according to a study in Erzurum, the role of women is greatest on small farms, which rely mostly on unpaid women's work for , crop production. Furthermore, the role of women in regions that grow traditional crops such as wheat and barley has diminished due to , mechanization, while their role in cash crop production has increased, such as in cotton production in southern Turkey. In the eastern , region of the country where dryland farming is practiced, women work an average of 45 days per year in agriculture, devoting most of , their time to livestock production. ,
Yemen	Women are responsible for 53% of all the work required in agricultural production. Approximately 40% and 20% of all the work needed , in vegetable and fruit production is provided by women, respectively.