Bite-sized stories: how rural women farmers are solving problems in Gujarat, India

Women make crucial contributions to agriculture and rural economic activities throughout the developing world, as farmers, workers and entrepreneurs. Their roles vary widely and are changing rapidly as the agriculture sector is becoming more technologically sophisticated, commercially oriented and globally integrated, and as migration patterns and climate variability are changing the rural landscape across the developing world. These forces present challenges for all agricultural producers, and rural women farmers are no exception.

In this set of four stories, we look at how rural women in Gujarat, India responded to such challenges. With the International Day of Rural Women (15 October) this week, the stories offer a timely look at how empowering rural women leads to improved food security, agricultural production, economic growth and well-being for families and communities. 

The stories are extracted and adapted from the publication, Ending Poverty: Learning from the Good Practices of Smallholder and Marginal Farmers, developed jointly by FAO and the Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA) of India, and based on experiences from the FAO-SEWA Exposure and Dialogue Program.

Click here to read the stories.