Women comprise about 43 percent of the agricultural labour force globally and half or more in many African and Asian countries. They also constitute the majority of farmers in many of the regions most severely affected by desertification, land degradation and drought.

The labour burden of rural women exceeds that of men and includes a higher proportion of unpaid household responsibilities. Despite their crucial role in agriculture and food production, women often have limited rights to the land they farm, preventing them from efficiently controlling soil degradation and enhancing soil fertility.  Women also often cannot influence natural resource governance decisions and practices in their communities, and have less access to information, extension services and education than men. 

This forum aims at collecting the views from a wide range of stakeholders about the relations between gender equality and sustainable soil management and health. The feedback gathered from this consultation will inform the zer draft of the  ‘Guide on gender and sustainable soil management’, to be prepared by the Regional Soil Partnerships, the Intergovernmental Technical Panel on Soils (ITPS) together with the Social Policies and Rural Institutions Division of FAO, with inputs from both gender and soil management specialists.

We greatly appreciate your contributions and ideas !

Access the online survey here