Rural women play an important role in agriculture, especially in the peasant and small farmer sectors, working an average of four hours a day in crop and livestock activities. Women are responsible for establishing a survival strategy for the household unit. About 20% of rural households are headed by women, who bear the entire responsibility for agricultural production. Development policies, however, still consider men as producers and women as responsible only for household tasks. Official statistics on the economically active population do not account for rural women's unpaid labour on family plots.
Division of Labour by Gender. Women are primarily responsible for vegetable gardening and small livestock - poultry, pigs and goats. While little data is available on the gender division of labour in agriculture, women take part in most activities and predominate in food processing. In fisheries, women also work primarily in processing activities. Women are responsible for household tasks, including water supply. Men contribute significantly to fuelwood collection.
Gender Relations in Decision-making In Farming Activities. In households in which women are active in agricultural production, men and women often share the decision-making. Men predominate in decisions in regard to type of crops, varieties and fertilizers, while women generally have a greater say in family expenses and pricing of produce.
